Front Range Kayaking

Return to the Black Canyon

2011-10-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

What can you say about the Black Canyon? An utterly amazing place with a work and danger to paddling ratio that most kayakers would never sign on for. If this run was in an average canyon, it would see little to no traffic; but it isn't. The Black Canyon is about enjoying an epic adventure in the most scenic place in Colorado, running a handful of cool rapids and fraternizing with the other high-class individuals who frequent the place.

On my first foray into the canyon in 2010, I dislocated my shoulder twice, destroyed my feet on the portage, and generally got my ass kicked due to the physically demanding nature of the run. The flow was 600 cfs and I swore I would never do it any lower.

Fast forward to 2011. Tragically, after running strong for months, the watermasters droped the river to a paltry 580cfs the night before. Oh well, we didn't all drive to Montrose for the arts scene. Better go kayaking anyway. At this low end of runnable flows, most of the rapids are quite manageable. There are very few hard decisions to make because most of the rapids are either Class IV or V+. A word of caution though- this is not Numbers Class IV. This run is littered with sieves and should not be attempted if you ever find yourself upside down or out-of-control in Class IV as a small mistake could be fatal. Enough of the scare tactics, here are the pictures:

Rolf braves a low water Daywrecker experience:

Jeremy runs a nice line in the entrance to Double Drop. This rapid usually runs clean, but contains a gaping sieve on the left out of the frame.

Triple Drop- no thanks.

The Principal's Office- one of the 3++++++ rapids in the Black. The extra +'s are for what happens if you miss the line.

Scott Dent cruising into possibly my favorite rapid- Lower Intestine.

Cali Nick in Ballcrusher.

Rush hour at the waterfall. Heise scouts while Jason boofs.

And then, there is the portage. Maybe it was better footwear, or maybe it was knowing the route a bit better, or maybe it was the cooler weather, but somehow, it did not seem nearly as bad this time. Don't get me wrong, it's still really hard, but doable. And as a bonus, I don't even have much poison ivy...yet.

The best place ever.

Cave camp pool in the morning.

Mr. Black Canyon- Tom Janney running Next Generation, sprained ankle be damned.

Yup, more of this.

Til next year...

Vallecito

2011-07-10T17:15:00.001-07:00

Vallecito is a run that has always made me nervous. With a mile of boxed in Class V in an inescapable gorge and stories of great boaters getting humbled, this is a run that deserves respect. Also deserving consideration is the water level. The photos in this post were taken at 2.05 feet (about 290 cfs), which everyone seems to agree is a padded but not terrifying level. I would not want to go in much higher primarily because of the boil/backcut cave at Entrance Falls. But many people do go in higher, so it is definitely possible.

Big thanks to Cruise, Danny, Shawn and Cody for thinking that taking five newbies in at once (for a total group size of nine) was a good idea. It would have been a much more stressful day without their beta.

Crowded put-in.

Cruise stomping the everliving crap out of Entrance Falls.

Famous John coming through entrance.

Big Eric entering Trash Can. Wonder how it got that name.

If you look closely, you can see the log jammed deep in Fuzzy Bunny- bummer.

The view downstream from Fuzzy Bunny.

Cody demonstrating the manky Boufant sneak- note the logs on the left blocking the normal line.

Cody styling Paddle Bitch.

Issues in Paddle Bitch.

As you have probably gathered, the wood situation in Vallecito is not so great right now. There are three problem spots with big logs that probably cannot be removed until the water drops. But they will be out eventually, and the run is still really good, even with these issues. All in all, this is an amazing run in an amazing canyon, but not to be taken lightly. I can't wait to get a few more runs and get the lines a bit more dialed.

Crested Butte 2011

2011-07-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

We headed up to Crested Butte the first weekend of July to hit the four CB creeks: OBJ, Daisey, Slate and Upper East. Due to the record-breaking snowpack in this part of the state, the creeks were all still running strong at a time when they are often petering out. We did the quadruple crown (all 4 creeks in a day) Saturday and Sunday and then hit Daisey again on Monday before taking off, paddling with a different crew from across the state and beyond each day. Due to the large snowpack and hot days, water levels were solid medium in the morning and high at night. The general plan was to do OBJ in the morning when levels were reasonable, followed by Daisey-Slate in the afternoon and the Upper East in the evening.

Chris Menges has the lines on OBJ pretty well figured out.

The section above the "25 footer" seemed pretty frantic with good flows, but there were still a few eddies to break it down. C1er on the drops before the corner.

It seemed like everyone had trouble getting away from the curtain on the big one. I went deep and blew my skirt on my first run. There were even some reports of people hitting the bottom. Fortunately, this is one of the few OK places to be upside down on the run.

The bottom slides looked stout with big flows. Avalanche seemed to go well for most takers, but many folks took big hits on the very bottom drop- so I did not run it. Chase looking good (straight) on Avalanche.

After OBJ, we hit Daisey and Slate with rising flows in the Afternoon. The consensus was that this combo was a very quality run. Daisey is a bit manky, with in my opinion, the sharpest rocks of any of the CB creeks...but it has a 20 foot boof. For some reason, I came off Big Wood crooked all 3 times I ran it, which does not look as cool, but makes for no big hit to the bottom. A typical crooked line by the author- photo credit: Kevin Cripps.

The Slate is really fun with good water, with lots of fun twisty class IV with big diagonals and holes. I only got one picture, because the Slate isn't really a run you stop on. The crew exiting the wooded mini-gorge.

We finished up Saturday and Sunday with the Upper East which was pretty much out of its banks by evening. It was a whole different run from the slow scrapy version I remember, with big diagonal waves and holes. It actually handed out some beatings to boaters who has successfully completed the other three creeks. Not much time for photos on this one either. Just this one- feeling stupid?

As a barometer, we had flows of about 1000cfs on the Slate and about 2200 on the East, and I would consider this just about optimal.

Cataract @ 70,000

2011-06-30T05:36:00.000-07:00

I like big water. At least that is what I like to say. But maybe I just like runs where I can roll without hitting my head on rocks, and have no idea what I am talking about with big water. There is more than enough time for these thoughts to revolve in your head on the multi-hour drive and shuttle for Cataract Canyon. The level is 70,000 cfs. Maybe it is all washed out into Class III. Maybe not. Only one way to find out.

But first, flatwater. Lots of it. Like 50+ miles before you reach the rapids. We paddled from 2PM to 11PM on day 1 and made about 40 miles. Kevin takes the flatwater paddle in very seriously.

Russ' bunk buddy on night 1.

When we finally reach the rapids at noon on day 2, tensions are a bit high. We have two paddlers in our group who have done the run at 50k and they are astonished by how high the river is. Rapid number 2, which I guess is usually not big deal has 20 foot waves and huge eddylines. No way to go but downstream.

Things never really get much harder than number 2 though. Most of the rapids are similar with long snaking wavetrains- some waves 20-30 feet high. But most are friendly and there are no holes. Every rock in the river is so far underwater that the only river features are eddylines and compression waves.

Even Big Drop 1 is washed out.

Big Drops 2 and 3 are not quite washed out. This picture does no justice, but if you can imagine, these features (Little Niagra on the right, and the Window Wave on the left) are thirty feet tall. The barely noticeable "marker waves" are 10+ feet tall. The line here was to punch the diagonal between the two bigger features.

View downstream of the rest of the rapid.

Deep contempation at Satan's Gut.

And then there was more flatwater. Seriously, Cat has alot of flatwater. At least it is scenic.

Our trip took a total of 48 hours, about 22 on the water. The high flows did not really speed up the flatwater, especially with a headwind. It is hard to rate the difficulty of the rapids. There are no real moves to make except in the Big Drops, but the waves and eddylines are huge and a swim would be really really bad. I literally do not know how a swimmer would get to shore in the rapids. The folks in our group who had done it at 50k thought that level was harder because there were holes in play that were washed out at 70k. Take this description for what it is worth. Cat at these levels is a very unique experience and I would love to go back...with a jetboat ride through the flatwater.

High Water on Pine Creek

2011-06-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

Pine Creek at high water is an interesting run/rapid. Lots of folks put somewhere higher than the Numbers to get a little more action. At high water the stuff above Pine Creek itself is fun and the runout to the rapid is great. It is also a popular theory that the Pine Creek hole flushes at high flows so it is no big deal. This is a very easy theory to explain from your couch in the middle of the winter, but harder to back up when you actually see the rapid at 3000cfs, when the hole is still there but... kinda flushing.

At high flows the dam drop above Pine Creek goes well and is actually pretty fun.

The rapid itself from above. You are not getting left at this level.

Anonymous kayaker deep in the gut of the hole.

Cool video of our group and a couple other running the hole. Video by Robin Johnson.

Kayakers vs. Pine Creek Hole from Robin Johnson on Vimeo.

So, it does flush. Get out there and do your big water training.

Upper Animas

2011-06-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

The Upper A is an amazing place that must be experienced to appreciate. Difficulty is highly dependent on flows, but it is always a great experience. We hit it recently with what I consider perfect flows. 1300 (medium) in Silverton, but with side creeks pumping it was pretty high by Rockwood (1700 on the Tacoma gauge). Side note: the Tacoma gauge reads low at higher levels (1700 at Tacoma felt like 2500+cfs as we floated past the gauge). The smoky put-in thanks to huge wildfires in Arizona.

During one of the fall rainstorms last year, in the spot where the old Snowshed Rapid used to be, a side drainage ripped out in a huge landslide, partially blocking the river. Fortunately, the result is a totally clean rapid.

Russ running the new rapid.

The only other pics I got were of No Name (oops, camera battery died). No Name is the biggest rapid on the Animas. Is is nice IV+ at low water but a hole forms at high water that has most boaters walking. At our flow the hole was forming, but not yet the high water monster. A couple kayakers pose in No Name for scale (This is the entrance. The big hole is out of the frame downstream.).

The Upper A is really too much river for one blog post. Broken Bridge is great at every level, Rockwood is intense at higher flows and the in-between is pure bliss. Get it before it's gone.

Cascade Creek

2011-06-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

Cascade Creek (aka 3rd Gorge of Lime) is a great single day adventure. You get some hiking, 2 miles of creeking, 6ish miles of Upper A wavetrains, the option of the Rockwood Box with healthy flows and then some more hiking. The adventure starts with a 1-2 mile downhill hike from Purgatory to Purgatory flats.

We were a little dubious on the flows after everything spiked overnight, but a quick peek at the Cascade Slot and Lime Creek at the highway assured us that flows would not be too high. Too high does not really refer to the rapids on the run, which would be sweet at flood, but rather to the eddy above the 5+ portage and one limbo log at the bottom of a rapid most of they down the creek. These photos are from med-high flows (est 600+ in the creek, 1600 on the Tacoma gauge). Purgatory flats- your put-in and first opportunity to get a real visual on flows.

A couple wavetrains and a roll under a log bring you to the landslide portage. Maybe it would be just easier to run...maybe not (it has been run).

The launch out of the portage is the most gripping part of the run. It requires a seal launch right where the current slams into a wall. However, it goes better than it looks and is actually the best rapid on the run.

The only rapid that really stands out in my mind below this is the ledgy drop a few hundred yards downstream of the portage. At this level the hole looked horrible, but the ledge appeared to be a good boof. We proved ourselves completely wrong as four of us plugged the hole and paddled out one after another. Big Eric gets ready to displace some backwash.

The rest of the run is all straightforward Class IV, but it is wall-to-wall water in places and pretty continuous, so a swim would be bad. After you hit the Animas, you have six miles (maybe 45 minutes) to the Rockwood Box, which will be harder than Cascade at pretty much any level.

Piedra

2011-06-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Piedra, the old fallback. Nothing else is running yet? Do the Piedra. Everything is scary high? Do the Piedra. Despite its long shuttle, and paddling 8 miles of flatwater for one mile of whitewater, somehow it is still worth it. The one mile of whitewater is one of the best miles of class IV in Colorado, and the flatwater actually moves pretty fast with good flows.

A couple weeks ago we went up for a beautiful Piedra day and hiked about 1/2 mile up the First Fork to a drop that I had scouted with low water. With water in it, it was only about a six foot ledge, but it was clean and fun. Drew boofs it.

Unfortunately there were about 5 log jam portages between the ledge and the put-in, so it probably won't be repeated, but at least we were warm for the actual paddling portion of the day.

Once the rapids kick off, they are powerful and fluffy with big easy lines.

Boof!

The Eye of the Needle is by far the biggest rapid on the run. Though technically easy, this one always gets the blood pumping due to the powerful constriction and chunky run out. I recommend always scouting this one because I have seen several different woof configurations in the runout. Never content with the standard line, Kevin drops in switch.

The paddle out is long but scenic and the water moves fast. Stop at the hotsprings on river left if they are not already full of naked hippies.

Black Boxes of the San Rafael

2011-05-24T19:39:00.001-07:00

The Black Boxes of the San Rafael is a classic, very hard to catch, and totally worth it wilderness run in central Utah. It runs through two slot canyons in the San Rafael Swell and is rarely run due to the absence of water and the fact that it is in the middle of nowhere. While it contains loads of mellow water and desert scenery, it demands an expedition mindset due to sandstone boulder piles forming sieves in most rapids, one scary portage/seal launch in the first Box and a couple of blind solid class IV drops in the second Box. That said, if you are willing to put up with a little hardship and alot of flat water, the Black Boxes are a great experience.

We did the Black Boxes in two days, car camping 1.5 easy miles above the river between the two Boxes. This run would make a great self-support two-day run or could be done in one very long day.

We had 450cfs, which is close to the recommended minimum, but I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of scraping. It really was an okay level. More would be better, but I would not shy away from the run at this level. This run rarely has water due to the farmers in central Utah using just about every drop of the San Rafael for irrigation. We caught it with 240cfs released from Joe's Valley Reservoir to make room for an an expected unusually large runnoff and a bit of release from other reservoir and low elevation runoff. It should run for a bit at low flows and may run higher if Joe's Valley spills later in the season.

For no particularly good reason, we decided to cut off the first 8 miles of flatwater with the "shortcut" hike described in the New Testament. This involved a strenuous and kinda dangerous climb down to the river that I cannot recommend. This is how it looks from near the top:

Once in the canyon, the rapids start gradually. There are a few nice Class IV rapids while the gorge is still open. Scouting is easy and times are good.

After several rapids, you come to one of the ugliest sieves I have ever seen. Kevin takes the prefered high left line on this one:

Soon, the gorge closes in and you arrive at a couple more significant rapids, including the Weeping Wall Rapid. At low flows, the right line is good. The piton to left sieve line is less good. Russ runs the preferred line.

Eventually the gorge narrows and you approach Rockfall, which at 450cfs is definitely not good to go. Even the portage is sketchy, with potentially dire consequences for a slip. This thing might be good at 1000 but you would be shooting for the 100cfs that does no go underground. Teamwork makes the portage go better.

The real crux of the portage is the seal launch. In my mind, this is what makes the Black Boxes not an intermediate run. It is a roughly 10-15 foot seal launch where some assistance from a buddy really helps. The pool below is quite boily and only one of the two exit slots go. Props to Russ for taking one for the team and volunteering to go last with no help getting in.

A couple more rapids follow as you exit the spectacular first Box.

After great camping. much flatwater follows before the second Box, which begins with Swasey's Leap.

The second box contains some nice water in an intimate setting. I won't spoil the surprise, but teamwork will make it much more enjoyable, and the blind drops seem to go pretty well by just following the main current.

The Black Boxes is takes alot of driving, alot of paddling, and tolerance for a just a bit of sketchiness; but if unique desert creeking is your thing, it is totally worth it.

Deer Creek

2010-05-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

Deer Creek is the first self-support multi-day trip I have done and it really exceeded my expectations. Deer Creek runs out of the Ishi Wilderness in the northern Sierras. Due to its lower elevation headwaters, it has a short season, but we were able to catch it at a great flow in early May. Deer Creek is divided into two halves. You can do just the lower or both sections, but just the upper only is not recommended due to an extremely long shuttle. The upper section is harder, and also better than the lower, and both have great scenery.

Most of the Upper section is fast Class IV through a forest, with read and run lines, an surprisingly little wood. One big exception to this is Fishladder Falls, which is a pretty much mandatory portage. You portage on the right and there is a nice trail about 50 feet above the creek. There is probably also a better way to get to the trail if you stop further upstream, but if you go to the lip, the climb is pretty steep and slippery.

Re-grouping post portage.

Typical upper section scenery.

Lots of this.

Around mile 12, we began looking for the great campsite noted in some of the online guides. We floated through a canyon with spectacular rock spires, but no apparent campsites. Around 7 PM, we floated though a vertically walled-in rapid and past the point of no return for the section described by cacreeks as the "V+ Maxi-Gorge." After another large, but clean rapid, we had a brief meeting, where group members expressed opinions such as "there is no way I am sleeping in this fucking gorge tonight." Fortunately, the gorge was only about five rapids long and not V+. This was actually the best section of the run with surprisingly clean drops considering the geology (large volcanic boulders). We ran the first four rapids and portaged the last. The last drop looked alright, but we were in a bit of a time pinch.

The only photo I took in the gorge.

We eventually found a place to camp right as dark was falling. The next morning, we woke up and after an alpine 11AM start, ran the Antipenultimate, Penultimate, and Ultimate section of rapids. I am not sure which was which, and it seemed more like five rapids, but this was a very nice section of whitewater. Less boxed in and more continuous than the gorge upstream, but also very clean.

Kevin somewhere on the morning of day 2.

Soon, we crossed under the Ponderosa Way bridge into the lower section. The first mile of this section contained good Class IV, which eventually mellowed. Class III and IV rapids are scattered throughout the next several miles. It should be noted that there is a bad wood hazard about 5 miles into the lower run. Scout carefully in this area.

Mellow section.

After several miles, there is a final flurry of action with several class IV-IV+ rapids, and Ishi Falls, the largest rapid on the lower section.

Ian boofs into Ishi Falls.

The river eventually mellows into a long and scenic paddle out. We camped somewhere in this section and paddled out on an easy day 3. Overall, I thought Deer Creek was a fantastic run. The upper section is better than the lower, but the combination makes for great trip. This run could be done in two reasonable days with an early start or a guide. We about 600 cfs for the entire trip, which seemed like a really good level. 450 is probably a reasonable minimum. More than 600 would be great if you could catch it at that level.

South Yuba- 49 to Bridgeport

2010-05-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

49 to Bridgeport has it all, crystal clear water, smooth granite, and lots of big rapids. We ran this section the first time at 750 cfs an then later in the week at 570 cfs. The higher flow was better but it was still fun lower. This run is a busy 7 miles. Our first trip scouting every horizon line took 6 1/2 hours. This time can be cut down significantly once you know the run.

Idylic view at the put-in.

The action starts immediately with a series of Class IV rapids followed by a portage. Andrew in the early rapids.

After a short lull, you enter a bedrock gorge with many great IV-IV+ rapids. Ian on one of the first of these.

The author runs another typical rapid downstream.

Ian again.

Kevin runs "the waterfall."

After the class IV gorge, the run beefs up a bit with more big rapids, and notably a set of beautiful granite slides.

Below this the big rapids just keep coming with several more drops before the takeout. This is one of the best runs that I have done and I highly recommend it if you are in the area.

North Yuba- Rosassco Canyon

2010-05-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

Rosassco Canyon is a short but fun run on the North Yuba just downstream of Downieville. This run is a nice change from the low volume bounce of Pauley and Lavezolla Creeks. The action begins after one recommended portage and consists of three nice IV+ rapids. The paddle in and out are fast Class III. This is a good run to tack onto the end of Pauley Creek. We had about 1400 cfs and thought is was a good flow.

Working through the portage.

First rapid after the portage.

Looking down into the last major rapid.

There are nice (pay) campgrounds all along the river downstream of Downieville.

Pauley Creek

2010-05-22T17:13:00.000-07:00

Pauley Creek is a very popular run in the North Yuba drainage with good reason. It is a pristine forested creek with a few great, low stress drops. This creek is separated from Lavezolla Creek by just one ridge, and the shuttle road goes right up the ridge. The regular put in involves trespassing right past a private residence, which is apparently okay. On the last of our three runs, we hiked up about a half mile past the regular put-in. This adds a cool mini-gorge that is similar to Lavezolla Creek. There is beginning to be a well worn trail to this put-in, and I highly recommend it.

The first drop is sloping 12 footer that is a mandatory plug on the right (at lower flows). This is a very fun drop to lead first timers into blind. There is a paddler in there somewhere.

There are a couple more fun smaller drops and then the best rapid on the run- a slide to ledge of about 15 feet. This is a very photogenic rapid, where you can run laps pretty easily. Also recommended is accidentally knocking your friend's boat off the center rock so he has to jump after it into the pool below.

From above.

And below.

The take out falls look like they would be fun with more water, but would hand out a lot of abuse at lowish water. Be careful on the small ledge above the falls. This would be a bad place to swim. Overall this is a great little run, very popular (read: easy to find a shuttle) and a good way to spend a couple hours in Downieville.

Lavezolla Creek

2010-05-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Lavezolla Creek is the first splash of water we got after an overnight drive from not so sunny Colorado. Though rightfully overshadowed by its next door neighbor Pauley Creek, it is a beautiful run with some nice Class IVish rapids. The water is crystal clear and the scenery is great. We did it at low water (about 150 cfs). More would be better.

Kevin early on.

Brian contemplates his next move.

More typical Pauley scenery.

This run is a nice little creek, but does not get run too often due to the other great options in the area. Still worth it if you have come for Pauley Creek and want some variety.

Lake Creek- Bottom 4(2)

2009-08-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

Lake Creek is cool. One of the neatest granite riverbeds that I have paddled in. We paddled the bottom section at low water 150-200 cfs. A bit more would be good, but not too much more.

This section starts off with a quick warm-up and then a great boof at the Brains.

The Paralyzer is about one hundred yards down from here. This drop looked huge but surprisingly good. We wimped out and did not paddle it on this particular day, but Heise did the day before and said it paddled like Class II. Kiss me is the next drop, but does not get run very often.

Top boof in the Paralyzer.

The final rapid is the Cauldron, which must be experienced to appreciate. If you are really good like me you can run this rapid without taking any paddle strokes.

Clear Creek of the Ark

2009-08-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

I had not done this run in a couple years until this year and had forgotten how much fun it is. We paddled it at 300-350 cfs which is medium. More would be good, but it could get pretty fast. This creek is always a bit boat abusive, but fast and fun, with great scenery and water quality. The run is not that hard, with no Class V moves, but this run hands out its fair share of swims, broken boats, and lost paddles. The creek is not an ideal depth for rolling. But stay upright and its great fun.

First Gorge.

Boof.

Crusing into the crux of gorge two.

Photo credit- Kevin from the Southeast.

Numbers at 3k

2009-08-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

The Numbers is great run to do at high water. Its not often in Colorado that you can paddle miles of stress free, big water Class IV. But you can when the Numbers is high. I was shocked not to see more people there. The run only takes about 40 minutes and is worth lapping. It is not technical with mainly big waves and a few big holes. Also, there are no rafts in the way at high water- over 2200 I think. I highly recommend it.

Stealth put-in.

Typical scenery. It all looks pretty much the same.

I don't think this run ever gets too high. It is worth the time if the water is up.

Wolf Creek Waterfall

2009-07-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

I have stopped to check out the "Tunnel of Love" waterfall on Wolf Creek Pass many times usually finding it too low or too high. The tunnel itself was sketchy when we stopped to check it out a few weeks ago. There was a log across the entrance of the tunnel that would have required a very sketchy seal launch, we had questions about the depth of the landing, and perhaps most importantly, I did not see how to stop without being flushed into the manky mank below the drop. However, there is a clean 20 footer about 50 yards downstream that we decided looked good. We roped boats down and ran a couple laps each.

Living in Colorado, I am no expert at running larger waterfalls, but I have learned that landing flat from 20 feet hurts. So, my new strategy is the controlled pencil-in, which does not look or feel as cool as boofing, but at least my back feels good. This waterfall has a bit of a tricky lead-in that makes setting up difficult, but I managed to plug it without much style on both runs.

Heise ran the best line of the day with a nice semi-boof:

And Donnie prepares to land flatter than he planned:

Wolf Creek runs very high during peak runoff due to the huge average snowpack on the pass. The 20 footer could be run pretty high and be okay. The Tunnel of Love requires a lower flow and will have a smaller window. This section is definitely alot of work for not many paddle strokes, but given the lack of clean waterfalls in Colorado, it might be worth it as a nice novelty falls.

Upper Taos Box

2009-07-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

The Upper Taos Box is a run that I never really planned to do. It has a well deserved reputation for being full of dangerous seives. It also has some fun rapids and is set in an amazing canyon. Despite its reputation, given the chance to do a new run with a solid group (Josh Heise and Donnie Smith), I decided it was worth the drive. None of us had done this run before, so we scouted extensively so as not to end up under rocks. Suffice it to say that on a run like this on a rainy day, we had the river to ourselves.

The first rapid is NCO. At our water level (550 cfs) this rapid looked terrible. The majority of the river seives out, but I think a good right line would open up with more water. Luckily, the next major rapid, Hell Hole, looked much better with a good boof, and only minor seive issues. My boof:

At the end of a longer section of boogie water, we came to pleasure plunge.

More boogie water leads to Big Arsenic (which needed more water), but the run does not let up with Little Arsenic and Little Arsenic Jr., which are more spread out and have some places you do not want to explore. We did the long paddle out to Dunn Bridge, which really was not that bad (9 miles of easy water with current and great scenery). The hike would probably save some time.

We had 550 cfs, which seemed low. The book gives a 300 cfs minimum , but I would not make the trip under 500 cfs. I think 800-1000 would significantly clean up the rapids. This run is worth doing, but is not a place to be out of control or swimming. There are dangerous seives in every major rapid and everywhere in between. I'll definitely be back. Hopefully with a bit more water.

Upper Animas

2009-07-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Upper Animas is a Colorado classic. Clear COLD water running through 26 miles of wilderness served by only a historic train. While this run has a reputation for being dangerous due to several high water flush drownings, it can be downright relaxing at lower water. At lower flows (under 2000 cfs at Durango) the in-between is Class III while the main drops remain quality Class IV. We ran the Upper A with raft support during a June cold spell when the level was 700 at Silverton and 1500 at Durango. The photos here are from that trip.

Tenmile rapid.

Other raft in No Name, which is the hardest rapid on the run (including the Rockwood Box).

The author in the entrance to No Name.

Roger in No Name.

While we were a little disapointed in the lower water for our trip, it turned out to be a pretty good thing when one of our rafts flipped in Rockwood, which would have been a big problem at high flows. Overall, this run at lower flows would be a great choice for adventurous Class III-IV types with a good roll, and I am always surprised that more people don't take advantage of it. Hopefully I will get some high water pics next year...

Crested Butte Creeks

2009-06-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

The Crested Butte Creeks offer kayakers a chance to bounce down sharp slate bedrock in a beatiful high alpine valleys. Its more fun than it sounds. We started with the Upper East, which is the easiest of the four. This would be a cool run of it was longer. But it isn't and I didn't take any pictures because the run only took about six minutes.

On to Daisey Creek. This Creek is tiny and quite fun. It starts with about five slides in quick succession. Josh Heise checks out the site of his scary vertical pin last year (go left on the third slide).

After the into slides, the creek briefly mellows to class II before dropping off Big Wood Falls, which has a cleaner landing than it has had in years.

After Daisey, we floated on down the Slate. This is the least popular creek in the area. It actually has some good rapids, but also quite a bit of wood and a couple barbed wire fences. On a side note, on the Slate river, Heise found part of his breakdown paddle that he lost 11 months ago in his pin on Daisey. Crazy. Heise runs some of the less clean whitewater in the area.

The biggest drop on the Slate is Wicked Wanda. It is definitely runnable, but also definitely dangerous. The entrance is flippy and there is a log extending from the center of the rapid. It would probably be more appealing with more water or less wood.

On to the main event: Oh be joyful. There isn't much to say about this creek that has not already been said. I'll just add that this creek is not as easy as some people make it out to be. Yes, there are good lines, but also chances to crash badly if you get off line. It is definitely alot of fun though.

Kevin boofs the put-in drop.

Un-named slide to 8 footer:

Donnie with a great line off the big-un.

The fellas ponder the Avalanche slide (and more importantly the Beaver Dam From Hell).

Third Gorge Lime/Rockwood

2009-06-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

The Third Gorge of Lime Creek (aka Cascade Creek) through Rockwood is a nice wilderness day run that involves a hike in (1.5 miles), some Class IV creeking, some Class III wavetrains on the Upper A, the Rockwood Box, and then a big hike up a hill to your car. It feels like a full day even though it can be easily completed in an afternoon. I think this is a good option for accessing Rockwood earlier in the season when the Upper A is low and cold and Cascade is higher relative to the flow on the Animas. The first time I did this run, Cascade was low and pretty dull. However, when we did it in May of this year, we had about 400 in the Creek and the run was fun. The Animas was at 2200 in town, which is a very rough barometer.

The first rapid of note is the Landslide Drop, which is usually portaged. The launch/runout to this rapid is probably the most exciting part of Cascade Creek.

One of the main attractions of this run is the chance to run Rockwood at a good flow. With the Animas at 2200 in town, Rockwood was good fun. Really no Class V moves, just quality Class IV, but do not swim. It is hard to take pictures that really capture the Box, but I tried.

First Gorge Lime Creek

2009-06-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

The First Gorge of Lime Creek is a short high alpine run that does not need a whole lot of water to run. If the creek looks too low at the put-in, the level is probably good, but could be too low. We did it in late May when the Animas at Durango was at 2400. This made for a nice medium-low flow, but this barometer is very rough, so don't quote me on it. The run starts with some small ledges. If these are scrapy but okay, the gorge below will be good.

Low-medium was a great level for Adrenaline Falls. Adrenaline is an intimidating falls with a tricky entrance. We somehow did not get a single shot of the one really photo-worthy drop on the run, but it went well. The S-turn was fun as always and then we reached the finale, Dragon's Back. Count runs Dragon's Back down the traditional right line.

Mark tried a new line. It didn't work very well, but reinforced the general concensus that a left line here equals a swim.

Rio Embudo

2009-05-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

The two things I heard about the Embudo before I went was that you should go at lowish water your first time, and that you should have a guide. The water was not low last weekend, and we could not find a guide, but Ian, Kevin, Famous Jon and myself decided to give it a go anyway. It is a very continuous river, which makes it tough to do without a guide, but not at all impossible. We scouted a few times unnecessarily and ran a couple large rapids blind, but it all worked out alright. We had a level of 3.4 on Saturday and 3.3 on Sunday, which seemed like great solid medium levels.

This run starts mellow and gradually builds to class IV before things really kick off. Long Rapid is the first big one. It consists of about 1/2 mile of class IV-V with no chance to scout or eddy out. This is the deepest point in the Upper Gorge and very bad place to swim, which made me pretty concerned when I got beaten on rocks and swam. Very fortunately, my boat floated right to me in the eddy and I was still in business. As Ian succinctly noted, "you're a lucky m#th$rf%ck&r." The next big rapid is Cheesegrater. This is possibly the steepest rapid on the run, but one of the cleanest large drops. Famous Jon in the entrance.

Kevin in the main falls. This shot shows how steep this drop really is.

A few drops after Cheesegrater is MJ Falls, which I walked after watching bad results on the first two attempts. This rapid seemed to treat folks better with the slightly lower level on Sunday. The exit to the Upper Gorge has one more significant rapid, Carnival, which deserves a scout if you do not have a guide.

The lull between the Upper and Lower Gorges is shorter than I had imagined (couple hundred yards). We ran Slamdance blind accidentally on Saturday and intentionally on Sunday. It really sneaks up on you. After this, the Slots of Fun follow quickly. This rapid is really what gives the run its rating. It is impossible to portage completely on either side. The portage involves ferrying in the meat of the rapid, which is probably harder than just running it. I think the best way to do it is to run the first few drops then eddy left to scout the last two. The last drop is intimidating, and probably goes more smoothly with more water.

Ian in the final slot.

After slots, all that is left is Taco Garden, a somewhat manky runout. This is a great run, but not to be taken lightly. You should go planning on running Class V rapids, some blind. The scouting options are poor, and the portaging options are worse. But if you are up to it, it is hard to find a better run in the Rockies. 3.3-3.4 seemed like a great level. I would not make the drive under 3 feet. 3.5 is probably a good max for a first run. Tenths of a foot on the gauge equal significant changes in the canyon. Thanks to Atom for his hospitality. Look him up any time you head south.

Durango playboating

2009-05-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

Animas at Durango has been over 4k for two weeks now. It will not last long but its fun while it lasts. Corner pocket is powerful and awesome at high water but the eddy disappears. Slalom boat cartwheels in the pocket.

Santa Rita come in at over 3k. The higher the better. Eddy service is a little sketchy, but the wave is great. Tim tears it up at Santa Rita.

The Sawmill waves come in at about 4k. They change dramatically with flow, but something is always in above the minimum. At the right level, there are four great waves in a row. You can surf for 15 minutes before you hike back up for more.

Uncompagre Quality Quickie

2009-05-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

I've driven past this one many times and it was finally time to stop and give it a go. It is quick as advertised and kinda fun. Despite our good flow of 700 cfs there are still shallow rocks due to the unnatural and actively eroding riverbed. This run is a strange combination of pushy water and shallow mank. Worth a stop but don't go out of your way.

The crux- from river level, its steeper than it looks here.

Run-out to the crux.

Escalante 09

2009-05-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

Escalante Creek had a pretty good year considering its average snowpack. Three plus weeks of good flows is not bad. Escalante is really one of the best runs in Colorado with good water. There are very few runs in Colorado that have so many good drops with so little junk. Some folks runs just the upper or just lap the gorge, but I really think the two are better together. Escalante is the best way to get warmed up for the Colorado creeking season.

Russ builds character while Jon looks on and I enjoy the scenery.

The classic rapid 57 chevy.

Old man Donnie with a great line off the falls.

Magnetic Wall from the gorge rim.

Alot of people are questioning the Robideau Creek barometer. I think its useful, but I think we need to rework the cut-offs. I would not make the drive if it was under 500cfs. Esca is done for the year but will be back next April...

Slide Rock, Oak Creek 3-1-2009

2009-03-19T21:34:00.001-07:00

Slide Rock is a very scenic, very full of tourists run up Oak Creek Canyon from Sedona that usually does not have enough water. We paddled it when there was about 200 cfs on the Sedona gauge. I would recommend a minimum of 400.

Put in drop

The first part of the fun is granite boulder gardens. Actually, the geology of this creek is very unusual. The bedrock is all sandstone, but at the beginning and end of the run, granite boulder are piled on top. The only clean slides are in the middle of the run, in the state park.

Boulder garden

Sliding

More sliding

Bottom of the slides

And more boulder gardens

Neat run, beautiful place, needs more water.

Fossil Creek deathmarch 2-28-2009

2009-03-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

I met Josh and Donnie in Arizona on the last weekend in February. Early in the week, flows had looked promising but dropped fast as soon as we showed up. After getting very skunked on the Upper Tonto and East Verde, we headed to Fossil Creek. We figured with the little bit of extra runnoff, we could try to do Upper Fossil plus the regular section. This section needs more water than the regular run, requires a four mile hike in, and is not done very often.

First, we hiked.

Then we reached an idyllic put-in with maybe 70-80 cfs of cold water.

We bumped our ways downstream, and we were really excited when we saw this- the springs- more water!

The Upper Section was still too low to be good. We pushed our way over shallow travertine ledges and logs for the next 4 miles. We portaged 5 times including the dam, which is in the process of being removed, and is not currently runnable.

Finally, we got the the "classic section", which was fun with the estimated 100-150 cfs in the creek. I could see it being pretty boring with the base flow, and great with more water.

20 footer

clean ledges

Fun powerhouse drop.

I won't be doing the Upper Fossil Creek run again. It would be better with more water but still not worth it because the pain-free classic section downstream would be great. The Upper Section would be terrifying at really high flows because of the massive amount of wood in the creek. The lower section is a good fallback if (when) you get skunked on other nearby runs. The current "closure" does not really seem to be enforced on weekends, but don't quote me on that.

Ecuador- February 2009

2009-03-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

I went to Ecuador in February for a week of creekboating with Small World Expeditions. As advertised, the county is beautiful and the whitewater is plentiful. I would highly recommend it. Coming from the desert that is Colorado, it is simply amazing how much water there is in Ecuador.

Typical scenery

The first day we paddled the Cosanga, which was nice Class IV, but really just a warm up for the week to come. The next day, we paddled the Oyacachi, which was a simply amazing river. 6 miles of pushy IV+ with great scenery.

The next day, we headed over the divide, through the cloud forest, to the famous Upper Hondachi.

Given the Jondachi's reputation for quickly getting too high with rain, it was a little concerning when it poured throughout the entire hike in. However, when we got to the put-in, the water was low, giving us plenty of leeway if the river rose. The hike to the put-in was easily the slipperiest walk I have ever done with a kayak. Actually, it was probably the hardest thing we did all week. And completely worth it.

Landslide portage early on.

People claim the Jondachi has over eighty distinct rapids. I'm not sure about that, but it is a long six miles, with a significant rapid every 30 yards or so the whole way.

The water level about doubled as we ate lunch and we finished out the run with a nice medium flow.

After the Hondachi, we went to Tena, where we paddled the Mishualli when it was flooding.

And then when it was not flooding.

We also paddled the Piatua, in the Tena area before we headed back to the Quijos. Our last day, we paddled various sections of the Quijos. The water was kinda highish. Some of us put on part way through the Cheesehouse section and experienced some powerful whitewater.

Our put-in: Piggly Wiggly

Slackwater on the Quijos.

I can't say enough about Ecuador and SWA and can't wait to go back.

North Fork Crystal

2008-11-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

The North Fork Crystal is high elevation Colorado 4X4 and huck, with the emphasis on 4X4 (your Suby will not make it). The water is clean and the drops are too. We only ran the first 4 drops due to wood in the short gorge. This short section is very steep (loses about 100 feet over 4 drops) and high quality. We had about 500 cfs on the downstream Crystal gauge (about 1/3 of that is in the creek). This seemed like a nice medium-low level.

The first drop is a long, low angle slide.

There is one eddy between drops one and two. Two of us caught the eddy, one missed it. Luckily, missing the eddy sets you up fine for drop 2. This drop has a twisting entry ledge follows by a large slide falls with a kicker. This year there was a tree in the eddy river right below this drop, so you need to run it under control.

Drops 3 and 4 are smaller, with drop 4 being the cleanest ten footer in Colorado.

Summer '08 photo dump

2008-07-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

I didn't take a whole lot of photos this summer but here is a handful of the good ones from my various kayaking travels.

Josh Heise melts the big one on Oh Be Joyful Creek.

Top half of the last slide on OBJ. This slide goes for another 60 feet around the corner and ends in a 12 foot almost vertical falls. So cool.

Huck the System- South Mineral Creek. One of the cleanest runnable waterfalls in Colorado.

Al with a good line at Dragon's Back- Lime Creek.

New No Name at 3800 on the town gauge. Very burly rapid at this level, but much easier as the water drops.

Crystal Narrows at 1300- no pictures with paddlers when you paddle solo.

Glenwood wave at 15k- Skook in Colorado.

Russ on Eye of the Needle- Piedra

RIP Corner Pocket

2008-05-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

After a glorious spring, the high water pretty much blew it out. Time to break out the concrete. A few shots from our dearly departed friend:

Escalante- Spring 08

2008-05-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

It has been an epic Escalante season. The levels have not dipped below medium for a month, being higher most of the time than the peak of a normal year. I'm not sure how much longer it will last but it could go for a week or two more (still running high as of 5/18). All photos here are from medium to high levels.

Uh- where's the fin?

George at Leap of Faith.

Link to quick Leap of Faith video:

http://www.vimeo.com/1008222

Waterslide is the most consequential drop on the run. The low water right line does not go if the level is above medium-high. At these levels, you have to boof down the center, being careful not to get pushed into the seived-out left channel. Kevin runs a good line at Waterslide at high water.

Craig in Double Drop.

Rib ripper- great high water boof.

Neat view of Corkscrew.

Inner Gorge late in the day.

Spring 08 Oregon/Washington

2008-05-18T20:07:00.000-07:00

In late April 08, our quest for ample flows and clean waterfalls motivated an 18 hours drive to the Pacific Northwest to sample the finest whitewater that the region had to offer. We found some rivers to low, some too high, and a few just right. In chronolgical order, we paddled:

1) Upper East Fork of the Hood- too low when we did it but it had good gradient and lots of potential with more water.

2) The Farmlands- would be considered a classic if it was anywhere but upstream of the Green Truss. Definitely worth your time if you are in the area.

3) The Upper Wind- nice Class IV run but didn't quite live up to its billing. Reminded me alot of Chekamus (BC).

4) Canyon Creek (WA)- one of the best runs that I have ever done. We had about 700 cfs which seemed like a nice medium level. Clean drops and some big sticky holes. We had 3 swims. When in doubt, boof hard.

5) East Fork of the Lewis- really fun run. 1200 seemed like a good level. Two very clean 15-20 foot waterfalls and a great class IV gorge with a few sticky holes.

6) West Fork of the Hood- pretty but kind of easy. Maybe good if everything else around there is flooding.

7) The Green Truss- total classic. Lots of great rapids besides the big 3 that you always hear about. Pool drop with clean rapids and a few sticky holes. All in rugged and spectacular gorge. Thanks to the local boaters who have placed fixed ropes in all the right places throughout this run. The only issue right now is the log in Lower Zig Zag that necessitated a pretty scary portage (hand rappelling anyone?). I think there may be a better way to do this. It would be worth looking into. Notwithstanding the portage, I can see how people come back to this run over and over.

8) Rock Creek- our backup after being scared off the Upper Little White by the monster take-out drop and excessive amounts of wood. Very pretty run. Needs more water.

Here is a semi-chronological photo dump from the trip. Some taken by Brian and some taken by me. Enjoy.

Me- Lava Dam Falls- Farmlands.

Trent- same.

Tim- Sidewinder- Farmlands

Ian- Big Kahuna from the top (Canyon Creek).

The Hanna- Kahuna from the bottom.

Me on Sunset Falls- East Fork Lewis.

Ian- Horseshoe Falls- East Fork Lewis

Kevin- in Rock Creek mini-gorge.

Dolores 4/5-4/6 2008

2008-04-13T19:10:00.001-07:00

Water in the Dolores River is yet another good consequence of our big snow year in the San Juans. They are releasing 800 from McPhee at the moment and it will ramp up to 3000 over the next month and a half (allegedly). We checked out the upper section over a chilly weekend in early April. We managed the 47 mile section pretty easily over the weekend. The river moves pretty quickly even though there is alot of flatwater- like alot of flatwater. Basically there is one rapid. I definitely questioned my decision to cram my feet into a playboat for 47 miles for one rapid and a couple surf waves. Actually, you are probably better off just sitting on a raft and enjoying the scenery.

Scenery:

More scenery (did I mention that there are not alot of rapids).

Snaglepuss! Our raft ran a nice line, which was good because it was a bit nippy for a pinned raft extraction.

Link to cool Snaglepuss video:

http://www.vimeo.com/884462

Piedra 3-29-08

2008-03-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

Notes from our March 29 Piedra trip

1) There is plenty of snowpack for the next couple of months.

2) Its scenic.

3) Downed trees, lots of them- 2 mandatory portages.

4) The Second Mudslide/Eye of the Needle rapid is pretty clean, but the landslide is very active and that could change. Russ runs a good line:

Link to video of me running Eye of the Needle: http://www.vimeo.com/839275

5) The downed bridge in no big deal. If you floated into it, it would be bad, but that's pretty hard to do unless you are blind.

Flows: We had about 1400 on the gauge, which translates into about 200 at the put-in and 1000 at the take-out early season.

Salt River, AZ- February 08

2008-03-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

The Salt is a classic 50-60 mile multi-day river trip in of all places, east-central Arizona. Most years, good flows are hard to get, but this is not most years. Unusual amounts of rain and snow this winter necessitated a trip south during President's Day weekend. We showed up in the middle of the night at a cold, deserted campground at the put-in hoping that the rest of the crew (and gear) would show up. They rolled in shortly after us and we got a few hours of sleep before starting the (long) shuttle at 6:30 the next morning.

Sunny Arizona turned out not to be so sunny. The first day was cloudy and windy with temps maybe in the 40s. Put-in view:

Rafters on day 1:

The Salt has a cool bedrock riverbed in alot of places but it never really gorges up and the whitewater never exceeds Class III.

I'm not sure whether there are "designated" campsites, but we has no trouble finding places to camp.

On day 2, the river came up (peaked at 3600 on the Chrystolite gauge), the sun came out, and we ran most of the rapids. Pictured below are some of the larger rapids.

Quartzite is definitely the biggest rapid on the run. It is actually quite visually spectacular because it comes on a bend in the river when the gorge is at its steepest and deepest. While it looks big, it is not at all consequential- I'd say straightforward Class IV. If you look closely, you can see Geordie in the middle of the rapid.

Overall, this is a great river trip. Probably the best multi-day Class III run I've ever done. As I mentioned above, we had good flows; probably about 4000cfs on day 2. This made it possible to paddle the river in two and a half days instead of the usual five. That being said, five days on this river would not be a bad thing if you have the time.

Finally, the permit situation deserves mention. You usually need two permits for this run: the Apache permit and the Wilderness permit. The Wilderness permit is hard to get but is only necessary from March to May, so we did not need one in February. You always need an Apache permit which you can purchase at the box at the put-in, or buy one in Globe when running shuttle if you are in the mood to get ripped off.

The river should run well all spring, so enjoy if you scored a permit.

Big Thompson 11-3/4-07

2007-11-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

The Big Thompson has been running at a near perfect level for the past few days. I believe this has something to do with maintenance on the Colorado-Big Thompson project. Whatever the reason, the paddling is pretty damn good for November. The top 1/2 mile of this creek is full on. The top two drops look pretty terrible to me, so I decided to put in above the final big drop in the "Sluff Section". This drop probably wasn't the best warm-up rapid after a month out of my creekboat.

Me warming up.

Day 2- better:

And this rapid from above.

The Class IV section below the mank is good fun. The crux comes about a mile in. There are two options here: 1) a cool sliding diagonal move off the center boulder, or 2) a high speed piton into a pile of sharp rocks.

Carter wisely chooses option #1.

Below the crux is more pushy, fast whitewater that feels alot bigger than it looks from above.

Fall Gore

2007-11-05T21:48:00.000-08:00

I got up to Gore some time in October when it was running about 850. I'd call this the very low side of good. Definitely still fun.

Scissors- the boof farther left of where this guy went is the way to go.

850 is getting down towards the nasty level at Tunnel, and the left sneak looked really clean. Josh #2 makes it look easy. This is a good line when there is more water than you want for the hairy ferry, but less than you want for bombing it down the middle. Or you could just run it down the middle anyway and swim in front of all your friends.

Westwater

2007-11-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

Westwater is the classic weekend river trip. I was lucky enough to be invited on two raft-supported trips this fall (thanks Laurie and Steve). With big easy water, good play, and beautiful scenery, Westy is always a good use of a fall weekend.

View from Upper Little D- my new favorite camp.

The little D wave does not get the credit it deserves. Pictures do it no justice. The ferry is kind of hard but very makeable and the wave is one of the best in the region. 4000-4500 seems ideal because of the large shoulder on surfer's left.

The canyon is cool too- somewhere in the canyon, maybe Sock-it-to-me.

Corner Pocket

2007-11-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

We got our fall rain event in Durango and it was great. The Animas spiked to 4000cfs overnight. At any medium level, Corner Pocket seems to be where its at. This hole offers up loops and blunts along with cartwheels of both the intentional and unintentional variety. Its really good. The photos here were taken at about 1600 cfs. It was 2500 the day before and even better.

September Rockwood Box

2007-11-05T21:02:00.000-08:00

I moved to Durango which is going to be great during the runoff but there isn't much going in September. However, the Rockwood Box can be run down to just about nothing and its a cool canyon if you don't mind doing a little hiking.

Two unidentified kayakers do the 100% completely legal hike in.

The first rapid- its called Mandatory Thrashing I believe. However, at low levels the run is pretty mellow and there isn't really anyhing that's likely to thrash you.

Last drop in the canyon. Don't miss the takeout (hard to do).

Then all that's left is the 700 foot hike up to the car. I can't wait to do this one with alot more water.

August Gore

2007-11-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

As usual, Gore season was awesome. A good couple months of flows (1000-1400) and warm late summer weather makes for a good time. Gore is a good run to do with a group of 20.

Safety first- Lainey does the put-in slide backwards with no helmet.

Ian touching down.

Some dude counting fishes at Applesauce.

Gore sneak.

Gore run-out.

Christine even took a brief break from talking smack to fire off Tunnel right down the gut.

Supermax montage

2007-09-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

I don't get on my own blog very much but that's about to change. Here is a photo sequence of me in Supermax on Bailey taken some time in late July by the recently re-Coloradoed Josh Hallenbeck. The level is about 220, which I would consider the bare minimum (I've done it lower).

Low Water Big South 7-17-07

2007-07-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

Low water Big South is still one of the best creek runs in the Front Range- especially in late July. When the level gets down to the bare mininum, the lower half offers the best bang for your buck. The low water Peterson Lake put-in.

The Prime Time log has shifted downstream this year, but you've gotta get right.

The chute/hole at the bottom of Sideways.

The gradient continues to the bitter end, including this elbow cruncher just above the take-out eddy.

High Water Bailey 7-14-07

2007-07-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Bailey at 700 cfs is awesome. Miles on end of big curling waves, boofs and holes.

First Fall is drop is extremely dangerous. Most of the water goes under the left wall and the hydraulic is bad...but Fred styled it:

Jace enjoying the good stuff.

The steeps is great at high water. This hole led to a couple swims recently.

Most folks who venture into Supermax at these levels just run the sneeky line on Tampax, which seems to go pretty well.

The meat line is hard, but believe it or not, this line did not result in a swim.

Low Water Black Rock 7-13-07

2007-07-22T19:54:00.001-07:00

Black Rock at 300+ is still worth it after work. All of the rapids including Rigo are straightforward. They are all technical IV+ in nature and good fun so long as you stay upright. Ian in Black Rock- this is a good line- watch out for the undercut!

Boofing in the Narrows.

More Black Rock 7-12-07

2007-07-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

Black Rock is still fun at 400 cfs. The water is clear and warm right now and the rapids are still filled in.

Alex hits a longboat boof after Mr. Bill in the Narrows:

If you are thinking of running Rigor Mortis, this is the time to do it. At 400 cfs, its really pretty friendly for a rapid that might rip your head off.

More Big South 7-7-07

2007-07-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

Another great trip down the Big South and some more pictures.

At least Wierd Creek is pretty.

Ian in Taco Bobs:

Me entering Bar Room Brawl.

cool ledge after Cool World:

Top of Slideways:

The big hole at the bottom of Slideways:

Big South 7-4-07

2007-07-04T21:26:00.001-07:00

The Big South Fork of the Cache la Poudre is a classic kayak run. The run takes paddlers through 12 miles of largely pristine wilderness with a wide variety of large rapids. There is a new gauge under the highway bridge at the takeout that has six hash marks painted on a rock. For our run, the level was just under the 3rd mark up from the bottom. This apparently corresponds to a little under 300 cfs, which is on the lower side of medium. This is a good level for both the big drops (says the folks who ran them) and for the many in between rapids.

The first two miles of the run are on Wierd Creek, which is a tributary to the Poudre. The water in this creek is released from Long Draw reservoir. Put-in on Weird Creek:

The largest rapid on the Weird Creek section is Rock Lobster. As shown in the photo, this rapid is a genuine piece of shit. It is pretty representative of the character of Weird Creek, which kinda sucks.

Soon after reaching the confluence with the Poudre, paddlers reach Starter Fluid, which does not suck. It is a fantastic rapid with a few Class IV S-turns leading into an 8 foot boof:

The character of the next couple miles is pool and drop with rapids of varying size and difficulty.

Joe- about to make contact in Bar Room Brawl:

And nailing the line at Cool World:

After the Peterson Lake (flat section), you reach the lower half, which is more continuous and has several good rapids.

Canning in progress at Pin Cushion:

Slideways is one of the last rapids and one of the best. The entrance has a 4 foot boof followed by an 8 foot boof:

The bottom of the rapid is a steep chute into a big hole. Everyone in our group punched it with no problems.

Overall, this a great run, but a long tiring day. The window for flows probably will be over soon, so get it while you can.

Black Rock 7-2-07

2007-07-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

The Clear Creek season just keeps on going. We ran Black Rock after work today at about 600 cfs. This is an excellent water level for the run. I'd say its a bit tougher than Bailey at 600. Black Rock rapid is first with a pushy,technical lead in and an undercut on the bottom left. The run-out to Black Rock rapid:

The Narrows is the next biggie. This rapid is a classic case of way bigger at river level than it looks from the road. Entrance to the Narrows:

The Mr. Bill hole is the feature that immediately grabs your attention when scouting, but it has a nice boof flake and a smooth line. The hole after it, on the other hand, is a bit sticky. Paul impressed us with all the latest rodeo moves (in a Nomad). Christian taking the conservative line, just punching the hole cleanly:

Finally, there is Rigor Mortis. This seems like a really tricky level for Rigor as shown in this photo (Its blurry because I was already going for my throw rope when I took it).

Upper Animas 6-29-07 to 7-1-07

2007-07-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

The Upper Animas is a classic river trip in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. The trip is 26 miles and can be done in a day if needed. We had raft support and spent two nights on the river with a long middle day and a train shuttle at the end. This is a highly recommended way to run the river. Before the trip, I heard we were packing light. As it turns out, the rafters' version of "squalor"(sp) is pretty damn nice. We had about 1500cfs at Durango and 700 at Silverton. I thought twice as much would be good. The rafters said that a bit more would be ideal.

There is a low railroad bridge about a mile from the put-in that should be portaged by rafters who wish to avoid damaging their boats.

The view from our first campsite (taken from the seat of the groover).

Most of the action came on day two. The first "big rapid" is the Garfield Slide. It is neither a slide nor is it really that big (at this flow). Jen runs the slide:

Dave- same:

No Name is the biggest rapid on the river. It is a long, pushy, but straghtforward rapid with a nasty spot on the left at the bottom. No one in our group explored this spot. Jesse runs super smooth line through the crux on the Cat.

The paddle assist raft finishes up No Name almost as smoothly.

Night two- another of the many great campsites on this stretch.

We woke up early Sunday and caught the tourist train back to Silverton with time to spare (no Rockwood Box- maybe next time). This is a great river trip and I can't wait to go back. There are all kinds of options for this trip: from a long day trip, to self support kayaking, to several days on a raft with layovers. You really can't go wrong with any of them.

Crystal 6-26-07

2007-06-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

After a day on the Roaring Fork, we decided to check out the Crystal in the next valley over. I was hoping to run Crystal Mill Falls, but it really didn't look good. The preferred line is right. Unfortunately there is a jagged outcropping creating a curling boil. This boil pushes straight into the center left seam where you don't want to be. Maybe it goes easier with more water?

Since we were up there we ran the short section below Crystal Mill. We knew it probably would not be very good but we went anyway. There is one significant drop on this section. It is a 6 footer that strongly resembles a lowhead dam. There is a 10-15 foot recirculation that is worse on the left. Looking down from above.

I ran right, got no boof off the shallow shelf, and paddled out of the backwash. Brian did the Class V portage on the left.

Basically the run was Class III with some wood and a scary hydraulic. I doubt I'll do this one again. We ran Crystal Narrows on the way out of the canyon. The scenic and enjoyable Narrows:

Castle Creek/Slaughterhouse 6-25-07

2007-06-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

We headed out to the Roaring Fork Valley on Monday to get the last of their snowmelt. The Slaughterhouse gauge was at 750 cfs. There is no Castle Creek gauge so we just checked it out visually. It looked like 200+ cfs which we hoped would be enough. Castle Creek has several small Boulder gardens with blind corners. This combined with its reputation for accumulating wood led to a handful of scouts.

Typical Castle Creek scenery- small boulder garden with an almost river-wide log.

Bigger boulder garden downstream.

After a few miles on Castle Creek, we joined the Roaring Fork for the Slaughterhouse run. Slaughterhouse Falls is the most significant drop in this section. It is a 5 foot ledge than can be run cleanly on the left. Brian running Slaughterhouse Falls.

The rest of the run is mellow boulder gardens.

One thing to note about these runs is that the riverbed of both is entirely smooth, round boulders, which is a nice change from the Front Range. For future trips, I think 1500+ on the Slaughterhouse gauge would be ideal.

Bailey 6-24-07

2007-06-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

We put on Bailey with 500cfs at the put-in and 650 at the takeout. Out of the many time I have paddled Bailey, this was the highest water level. I thought the run was much higher quality than low water Bailey and not much harder (except for Supermax). We had six in our group and another three were with us for most of the day. Despite the group size, everything went pretty smoothly (except for three swims by paddlers who will remain nameless).

Second Falls.

Third Falls.

Supermax is alot harder at high water. The line is extremely thin. Nobody ran the whole thing today. Ian runs the sneaky-sneak line at Tampax.

Deer Creek is one of the few places on the run where higher water noticably increases difficulty. Its pushy at this level but it all goes straight down the main current. A rare shot of myself in the Deer Creek crux.

Deer Creek crux from below.

Ian performed a heroic rescue of a paddle that had lost its owner and become pinned in the Mystery Eddy rapid.

Poudre Play Run 6-23-07

2007-06-23T17:24:00.001-07:00

The Poudre Play run is the Upper Mish/Lower Mish/Poudre Park/Bridges combo. It sounds like alot, but it only takes a couple hours. The general rule for this run is that more water is always better. We had 3.7 feet on the Pineview Gauge (med-high) on sunny and warm June day.

Somewhere is Upper Mish.

Cool little boof drop in Upper Mish:

"Cardiac Corner" I think:

Pinview Falls is the best rapid on the run, so naturally the commercial rafting companies portage it?!? Egan in the top half of the rapid:

And the bottom:

Upper Clear Creek 6-19-07

2007-06-19T22:05:00.001-07:00

I have to admit I was not too impressed by this run the first time I did it (at some piddly little water level). What a difference high water makes. At 900 cfs it is good afterwork fun.

The first couple ledgy drops are actually more straightforward at this level (but they are much steeper than they appear in these pictures).

Dropping into one of the ledges from above.

After a little boogie, you come to Double Knife, which has more gradient than any other rapid on the run. There is a log left-center in the entrance followed by a huge pour-over on the right, but a simple right to left move avoids both hazards.

After Double Knife, its just read and run hole bashing to the takeout.

The Numbers 6-16/17-07

2007-06-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

After the scary pin experience on Clear Creek, I was ready to paddle something with no pin spots, and the Numbers fit the bill. At 1500 cfs, I was actually surprised by how mellow this run is. But its fun and worth doing. Bring your playboat. On Sunday, we came back and did Pine Creek and the Numbers. This adds some more good whitewater to an otherwise quick run.

Beau entering Number 5 Rapid.

#5 from below.

Clear Creek of the Ark 6-16-07

2007-06-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

Fibark weekend on the Ark with perfect weather and good flows- this is why we live in Colorado. If you can't find beautiful free camping in the Arkansas valley, you need to have your vision checked out.

On Saturday morning everyone and their brother showed up to run Clear Creek of the Ark. Pre-scouting the gorges from the road is a popular (and wise) option.

We had about 300 cfs. I expected this flow to fill in the small creekbed pretty well. I was surprised with how bony and not pushy the creek still was. More water would definitely be good.

The first gorge was good fun and had some strategically placed wood.

Exit from the first gorge.

The first run went super smooth, so we went up for another. On the second run, a member of our group experienced a scary underwater pin on the rock in the center of this rapid, which comes up quickly after the first gorge. Due to this pin, the paddler was forced to abandon his personal watercraft and his paddle. Said watercraft was then Z-dragged off the rock and the paddle is gone. In case you are wondering, the line is to follow the main flow RIGHT of the rock.

Scenic tributary waterfall visible from the takeout.

NSV Proving Grounds

2007-06-13T21:07:00.001-07:00

The Proving Grounds is a short canyon section of lower North Saint Vrain Creek. It has two IV+ to V rapids and some boogie rapids in between. We had about 210 cfs. This seemed like the lower end of doability. I would want at least 50 more cfs before I do it again. The first rapid is the biggest. Marty scouts the burly/seive center line:

Darren runs the top portion of the right line.

The second rapid is by far the high point of the run. Its twisy, turny, fast, and fun. Darren in the second half of the rapid:

Towards the end of the run, a local landowner has chopped down a large tree across the river forming death trap for boaters. It will be even more dangerous with higher water. He has been apprised of the situation and his response is the yellow caution sign on the tree. This sign is apparently designed to give a paddler 2-3 seconds of warning before he or she is stuffed under the log.

Dr. Booth explains how the log is not really a hazard for kayakers who are less than 14 inches tall. Note the freshly cut stump.

Lower Boulder Canyon 6-11-07

2007-06-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

Lower Boulder Canyon is a quickie before work/lunch/after work run for Boulder locals. The photos here are from a minimum fun level of 250 cfs (once a again, water drops on the lense were an issue). The creek boogies for the first couple miles before rounding the corner and dropping into Elephant Buttress Rapid. The bottom of the rapid:

Shortly after Elephant Buttress, the creek enters town and the "playpark" begins. Andy on the slide in the playpark during a recent lunchtime run:

Dumont 6-10-07

2007-06-10T20:16:00.001-07:00

Dumont is a fun Class IV run on upper Clear Creek. It is further up the creek than the other commonly run sections, so the water is chilly even on a sunny day. We ran it today at 600 cfs which is an okay flow but more would be better. I somehow managed to take every single picture with a water drop on the lense.

The first mile or so is a continuous wave train with a few holes sprinkled in.

Ladies love continuous whitewater.

There is a section of artificial ledges after the wavetrain ends. There are a few holes but none are keepers. The Count lines up on one of them.

Some other rapid further down.

Halfway down one of the last rapids.

Lyons Outdoor Games

2007-06-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Lyons Outdoor Games are going down Saturday, June 9th in Lyons, CO. With everything from a Class V race to rodeo competitions to a dog competition, its going to be a good time for all. On that note, I thought I'd post a couple playboating pictures from the 3 features in town on the main Saint Vrain. These photos were taken at about 300 cfs. We are hoping for 400-450 this weekend.

The Black Bear Hole:

The A-hole:

And the October Hole:

Lower Clear Creek 6-6-07

2007-06-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

Lower Clear Creek is a nice little Class IV run just outside of Golden. The riverbed is all blasted road rock so its sharp and jagged. But when the water gets high, the ugly riverbed gets covered up and the creek becomes nonstop waves and holes. The pictures here show the creek at about 800 cfs. We ran it this evening at 950 and eveybody agreed it was a good time.

The last half mile above the nasty diversion dam is affectionately referred to as the Screaming Quarter Mile. Here is the entrance:

The middle part of the SQM. The first ledge that is visible has a great boof on the left.

As the SQM winds down, its time to find a eddy (don't be too picky) and portage the diversion dam. As usual, this picture makes it look much better than it looks in person. There is a fine line on the right that can be run, but take a good look at those holes before committing.

Bear Creek 4-30-07

2007-04-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

The lower elevations in the front range are going off. Bear Creek has been rising fast over the past few days and it has been getting run alot. This fast influx of flows so early in the season has resulted in numerous beatdowns and broken boats. With this in mind, I headed off to Bear Creek Monday as it peaked at 380 cfs unsure whether to be excited or scared (I am using the DWR gauge at Morrison because there is a diversion in town which I think accounts for the lower flow at the lower gauge).

Overall, the run at this level is sweet. The rapids are quicker and there are a few holes, but nothing you cannot line up on and punch. Scouting No Fun Falls is definitely a good idea. If you don't get left going around the turn, things are going to get interesting.

No fun falls from below with Alex in the foreground:

The dam is probably the worst looking drop on the run, but it goes smoothly more often than not. The landing is about a foot deep and there is a bit of a strange hydraulic at higher flows...but it goes and it is pretty fun.

Dam drop from above:

Cameron running the dam on an earlier low water run:

I think the creek peaked today but I could be wrong. Hopefully it will run at a decent level for a while. Get it while you can!

Dowd Chute and Upper Blue 4-29-07

2007-04-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

Sometimes its good to have a beautiful day of mellow boating in the mountains. First, we went to Dowd Chute (about 600 cfs).

Christine somewhere in the Chute:

Then we went to the Upper Eagle (also about 600 cfs). This section is running because Dillon Reservoir is almost full before the runoff. It may run higher in the near future. The first half of the run is flat, and the second half is Class III with a couple decent playspots (nothing worth traveling across the state for). Here is one of them:

It was a warm sunny day, but the water up there is still chilly (<40 degrees) so bring your pogies.

Barrel Springs 4-22-07

2007-04-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

After the disapointing Escalante flow on Saturday, we decided to paddle on some water Sunday. We could see that Barrel had water from the road on the drive out so we headed back that way. Normally, you have to subtract 1000-1300 from the Shoshone flow to get the Barrel Springs flow because of the hydro diversion. Right now though, they are hardly taking any water out. The Shoshone flow was 1700 and for whatever reason, most of that was being released through the dam.

Upper Death is a rarely run rapid just above where most people put in. This photo makes it look much better than it really is because you cannot see the size of the rapid, all the rock flakes just under the surface waiting to knock you off line, or the terrible seive on the left. Its runnable but...

The whole reason for the run is Barrel Springs rapid. At this level, it was long and fun IV+. Tom somewhere in the middle of the rapid:

We had a good time on the first run, so we did another lap before heading home. It was a fun run and I highly recommend it.

Escalante 4-21-07

2007-04-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

We drove all the way out to Escalante on faith, without a visual on the level. This was a mistake. There was not enough water. I really wish this run had a gauge. We paddled anyway.

Eric in some random slot drop:

Double drop was pretty fun. Tom dropping in from above:

Christian about to practice his combat roll at corkscrew:

It was still a great canyon with nice camping, and nobody got shot at. I'll definitely be back to paddle this run with more water.

Clear Creek Narrows 4-18-07

2007-04-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

The Black Rock run on Clear Creek is normally run at >300 cfs. Desperate to get wet, six paddlers showed up to lap the Narrows at 130 cfs. The Narrows is definitely the cleanest rapid at this level. Its pretty fun but short. I'd rate it 3+.

The first drop offers god boof potential...or not:

The other significant drop forms the Mr. Bill hole at higher water. Its just a fun little slot at fish flows:

Its worth doing if you are desperate. The walk back up to the top is definitely harder than the kayaking.

October Hole 4-9-07

2007-04-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

The October Hole is the result of a community effort to raise funds and add some off season whitewater to the Boulder/Lyons area. After a rousing fundraiser in 2006, the feature was built last spring. Unfortunately, building whitewater features is more art than science and it did not work that well. Miraculously over the winter, some boulders in the river shifted right where we wanted them and now its game on. There is no single gauge for the hole. Here is a link that explains how to calculate the flow:

http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f11/lyons-gages-12594.html

The flow spiked and then dropped fast today so I'm not sure how much we had. My best guess is 250 droping to 200 over the course of the evening. Apparently earlier in the day it was epic.

Lyons Local Jason in the hole:

And a couple gratuitous shots of myself:

The word from the locals is that they are going to drain Carter Lake this spring. This could mean a big spring at the O-hole but no fall water. Maybe we'll need to rename it the April hole.

Union Chutes 4-2-07

2007-04-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

1050 cfs + nice weather = good late evening turnout. Most folks were surfing the mellow wave at the 4th drop. Its a little flushy but okay for spins and blunts.

Unidentified paddler on the wave:

Gore Canyon 4-1-07

2007-04-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

Most people paddle Gore in the fall but its pretty good in the spring too. The flow was 700 cfs which is lower than the range given in the book, but its still worth paddling. Overall the difficulty does not change much from at higher flows. The lines are just different.

Carter and Dan wondering why they caught the right eddy above Tunnel.

Tunnel from above- there's a big ass hole down there somewhere.

Pretty view of the Gore Range from the put-in.

Union Chutes 3-28-07

2007-03-29T14:45:00.000-07:00

The great thing about Union Chutes is how the features change as the water level changes. It was running 1050 cfs which is the highest I have ever seen it, and it was completely different than at 900. We spent some time surfing the wave at the 4th drop, where I have never seen a wave before. The wave was a bit flushy but had a nice shoulder for blunts. The rumor was the the U-hole was washed out, but we checked it out anyway. It was actually super fun. Much faster and more powerful than at low water- like riding in a washing machine but without the quarters. Big loops too if you didn't care about sticking them in the hole. Hopefully it keeps running all spring. Sorry, no pictures.

Bear Creek 3-24-07

2007-03-24T20:57:00.000-07:00

I had been watching the Bear Creek gauge all week and finally we got some rain (and snow). The flow jumped to 140cfs which is just about enough. After some overly enthusiatic posts on Mountainbuzz about how great the flow would be, I had a few takers. Carter, John, and Mark all showed up at the take-out psyched for a little mank 'n wood. Yet another good experience finding boating buddies on the buzz. We scouted No Fun Falls on the way up. This is the entrance rapid. It was snowing a little bit.

The first part of the run was reletively uneventful. We scouted No Scout Falls on the island. There was no wood and the boof was super. A huge log floated past us above the second rapid and we could not see if it flushed through so we prudently scouted. No worries- it was clean. There are no photos of this section because my hands were freezing off.

Carter approaching the second slide:

We all walked the dam even though it looked pretty runable. We knew there was likely to be wood in the last long rapid. There are not a whole lot of eddies in this section so we just ran it. Sure enough, the rockpile after the ledge was full of wood. Its hard to see in the picture, but trust me its there. We went back up to try to pull the wood out. Some pieces came out, but there is still a log just under the surface after the rockpile that has serious pinning potential. If you miss your boof here, you could have serious problems. FYI- there are no eddies above this spot- be careful.

Then we cruised to the takeout where it wasn't even that cold:

140 was a fine level but more would be better. Pray for rain and be heads up for wood if you go.

Union Chutes 3-23-07

2007-03-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

Rain...yes rain in March. Chatfield Res was overfull and Union was running 905cfs, which is a great level. I was joined by the infamous CUkayakgirl and COUNT for a late even session. We showed up a little late, but the level was good and the water was clear (I think they were releasing out of the bottom of the Res) The first hole is a little sticky and a little shallow. Yes, it is manmade:

Christine tried out her fancy new kayak

#2(The Hollywood Hole) was chundery as usual. #3 was better than I have ever seen it- gentle with spins and blunts both ways.

We cruised down to the U-hole...then it got dark.

The benefits of kayaking in an industrial setting- lights:

The U-hole is my favorite at this level. Its fast and a little flushy, but you can still loop. There is enough lighting from the surrounding area to surf here after dark (the first hole also has a good light). It should run for the next few days. Get it while you can.

Waterton Canyon- 3-17-07

2007-03-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

Waterton Canyon on the South Platte is the old faithful/fallback Class III run in the Front Range. Andy, Nate and myself were feeling a bit desperate after a long cold winter, so we made the trip. The level was about 500cfs and the weather was great. It is still March though so we got to experience the Waterton box canyon...the ice box canyon that is.

beautiful day in the ice canyon

Nate enjoying the takeout:

looks colder than it is