Run Stepping Stones

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 8:09 am Post subject: Run Stepping Stones

I compiled this from a different thread (Colorado Kayakers :: View topic - bailey/gore) but thought it made more sense here. Hopefully people will add to the list.

************************************************************
As always conditions vary. This will not always hold true for differing flows, but should be a good general reference for your progression. I highly recommend you always boat with someone else that knows the run the first time.
************************************************************

Truly Beginner:

Pumphouse (Colorado)
Deckers/Chutes (S.Platt)
Milk Run (Ark, below 1500 cfs)
Filter Plant (Poudre)
Grizzly (Colorado)
St. Vrain (Apple Valley Bridge to park)
Cemetery (Roaring Fork)
RANCHO TO STATE BRIDGE (COLORADO)
EAGLE RIVER FROM WWTP TO ABOVE THE TRESTLE RAPID
fort collins town run

Easy III:

Lower Blue (to ~1000, portage dams)
Boulder Creek (town run)
Parkdale (Ark - low water, gets big at higher flows)
Golden Play Park
Lower Foxton (below the normal take out to the confluence)

Med III:

Shoshone (Colorado)
Lower Blue (Over 1200)
Bridges (Poudre, below ~ 3’)
Frog Rock/House Rock, aka Narrows (below Fractions) (Ark)
Brown’s (Ark)
Middle Eagle (below the Chute to Avon)
Foxton w/o Boulder Garden (NF of S. Platte)
Lower Mishawaka
Lower Clear Creek from the first tunnel down
Upper Foxton w/Boulder Garden (NF of S. Platte)

Tougher III:

Westwater (Colorado)
Fractions (Ark)
Upper Blue
Waterton (S.Platte)
Lower Elk
Upper Rustic (Poudre- tougher w/white mile)
Gore Creek
Lawson (C.C.) i'd stay off the dumont section: the rock is mostly road blast.
Edwards Mile (Eagle)
Granite/Pine Creek run on the Ark (walking Pine Creek rapid)

Intro to IV:

Pineview (Poudre)
Royal Gorge (Ark)
Lower C.C. (Riogor Mortis to Golden)
Slaughterhouse
Upper Clear Creek (Kermits to 119)
Upper Mishawaka
Lower Rustic

Medium IV
Royal Gorge 1000-2000(i feel it's more difficult than the Numbers)
Alto, Alto South Boulder
Bailey (if you walk Four Falls, Super Max, and Deer Creek)
Boulder Canyon (above the park)
Dowd Chute (Eagle)
Numbers (Ark)
Granite (Walking Pine Creek)

Tougher IV
Gore (if you walk Gore rapid and maybe Tunnel)
Bailey (if you walk the top 1/2 of Supermax)
Pine Creek (<1000)
Royal Gorge >2000
Middle Narrows (Poudre)

Intro Class V
Gore (running the sneak at Gore Rapid and Tunnel)
Bailey (running everything)
Gillman Gorge (Eagle)
Blackrock
Lower Narrows (Poudre)
Encampment River

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 8:50 am Post subject:

Upper Mish is harder than lower Mish, due to some moves that need to be made. But then again Pine View falls is on Lower Mish and is challenging and you definitely want to stay away from Pine Box (hole) 300 yards after it. Then again, there are a lot of sneaky holes on Lower Mish so you need to follow someone who knows the line the whole way.

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 11:38 am Post subject:

This is a pretty good list however 1 big awesome beginner run missing is Upstream of Dotsero on the Colorado. This is perhaps the best place to take someone who's never been in a boat before.

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 12:12 pm Post subject:

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 1:26 pm Post subject:

A good beginner run is sleeping elephant(poudre). The books say it's a III, but I ran it sunday @ 3.5' and it is half of what filter plant is. Might break up the beginner runs like you did with the other classes. The beginning of milk run is actually pretty tough for a beginner and so is filter plant at high levels unlike deckers.

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 1:39 pm Post subject:

I'm not sure Dowd Chute should fall in the Intro to class IV list.

While the chute is short and really not all that hard (depending on water levels and your skill level) swimming in the chute is a long cold swim and you will get beat up.

Numbers is definitely medium class IV. There are some moves in there that you don't want to miss (like in Number 5) and as the water goes up the pushier it gets. Numbers is used as the typical class IV run in the west by many people.

I would ask that you move it to the class IV section of the list.

For the tougher class III section you could add from Avon to the WWTP in Edwards (Edwards Mile). Nothing in there that will really get ya, just big water depending on levels.

Gore creek can be from easy class III to tough class III, depending on sections. From East Vail (through the golf course) to the Vail play park is easy to mid class III. From the play park to the top of the chute is probably hard III.

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 1:46 pm Post subject:

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 2:27 pm Post subject: Lower Mish - comments

Based on the books i've read Lower Mish doesn't include Pine View Falls section. The Pine View section is included in the Poudre Park stretch.

The Lower Mish take out is before you hit the Poudre Park section.

But I do agree that the Lower Mish section requires you follow someone that knows the lines. A good stepping stone is to run Filter Plant, then Bridges, and then if you are still comfortable then Lower Mish.

Also Laurie M mentioned that 4 feet or over Lower Mish gets very pushy and becomes more challenging. (but thats like anything on the poudre)

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 2:54 pm Post subject: Re: Lower Mish - comments

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:23 pm Post subject:

For the tougher class III section you could add from Avon to the WWTP in Edwards (Edwards Mile). Nothing in there that will really get ya, just big water depending on levels.

Gore creek can be from easy class III to tough class III, depending on sections. From East Vail (through the golf course) to the Vail play park is easy to mid class III. From the play park to the top of the chute is probably hard III.

Which river is teh Edwards Mile? I Assume it is the Eagle, but please verify, I can't find it on Eddyflower

Should we really split Gore creek, do people usually split it? I am erroring on the side of caution there and leave it where it is.

I changed the rest.

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:48 pm Post subject:

The perfect raw beginner section on the colorado is from Lyon's Gulch to the bridge by I-70. Not sure about the mile markers but its about 5-6 miles north of the dotsero exit before glenwood springs.

Don't take beginners on milk run if they've never been in the water much before. We had some bad experiences at the put-in a couple weeks ago when it was at 2k.

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:51 pm Post subject:

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:24 pm Post subject:

Yes the Edwards Mile is on the Eagle.

People who live in Vail don't usually do the whole stretch of Gore Creek in one shot but you could. We usually either run from the golf course in East Vail to town or start in town and run the lower section (typically putting in the Chute just for good measure).

It's your list so if you want to leave them together then so be it.

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 9:57 pm Post subject:

Lower Mish / Poudre Park / Bridges is way harder between 3.8 and 4.0 feet. At 4 feet, it's like a completely different river.

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 5:55 am Post subject:

Ran Lower Rustic this last weekend (Grandpa's Gorge, Hole 99 etc.). It felt like a definate step up from Lower Mish. Maybe tougher III or intro to IV? What is the consensus on where this run fits in?