Mini Colorado paddling TR

**Flowtorch** · 04-16-2008, 07:01 PM

Took a few days to hit up the Royal Gorge on the Ark and the Piedra down south. Found a little waterfall to enjoy in our off time too. If you get the chance do the Piedra while it's up! It's sooo tasty. Enjoy

Royal Gorge and a little sunshine...

Wolf Creek Waterfalls....looks a little low

...but this'll work

Inner Box,

Scouting Needle

Looking back upstream at the First Mudslide rapid

**Flowtorch** · 04-18-2008, 07:48 AM

I'm bumpin myself for weekend stoke. Go get on the Piedra before she's gone!

**summit** · 04-18-2008, 07:56 AM

woot stoked to boat

**Yonder_River** · 04-18-2008, 10:02 AM

You guys are going to have a killer season down there. Be safe!

**420Powderpimp** · 04-18-2008, 11:24 AM

Nice trip report. It is good to see my old orange gus getting some use! She still looks great!

**Storm11** · 04-18-2008, 01:21 PM

glad you guys had a good time down here.... how high was the Piedra when you hit it?

**Flowtorch** · 04-18-2008, 02:51 PM

Powderpimp, I take it you know Craig? Good kid, good kid. I'm so glad he showed up, otherwise we'd been fuk'd on shuttle.

Storm, the flow was pert near 1600. Good to go. Been wantin to do that run for a while now and the WC falls were just icing on the cake. Thats a lovely neighborhood yall got down there.

**skibuminwyo** · 04-18-2008, 06:08 PM

Daaaaammmmmmnnnnnn. Good stuff.

**420Powderpimp** · 04-21-2008, 10:47 AM

I don't know craig, just some dude that came by and bought my gus. Flowtorch, how was the axcess for the WC waterfalls? I thought they were commiting and difficult but you pic looks like good clean fun. I have never run them, any beta would be appreciated.

Thanks

**Flowtorch** · 04-21-2008, 12:31 PM

Got ya, pimp.

About the WC falls...there was a big ice bridge blocking the exit to the tunnel of love so I put on just above the first falls. It's definitely a chore gettin the boats down in there, just try not to think about it for too long, rope em down there and you'll be ready before ya know it. As of last week, there was still plenty of snow blocking the inbetween stuff(which I dont think gets paddled anyways), regardless it's only like 50 yards to the next falls. But since the water was still a little low we only hit the first one 3x a piece...Love to hit the second one next time.

The LZ for the first one looks pretty small but it goes just fine. Pull the boats back out with ropes. It's worth doing if your driving by and have the time. Hope that helps

**Storm11** · 04-21-2008, 11:00 PM

Also got into the Piedra on Sunday. Gauge was at 1900, so probably about the same level as you guys had in the gorge. Every year I forget how manky that upper section is. But it was nice and juicy by the time we got to the gorge. Would have been even better with another 500. Had a very interresting line through Lucifers, but all in all it was a great day.

Just hope they get the lower road open soon.

**Flowtorch** · 04-22-2008, 06:32 AM

Cool, the scenery was so nice in that upper section I didn't pay any attention to the manky. Storm, remind me again which drop is lucifers....Is it the one w/the nice horizon line you run left with two pourovers on right I believe or is it the next one after that, first mudslide rapid I've heard it called.

If it's the first mudslide...I too had an interesting ride.

**Storm11** · 04-22-2008, 11:15 PM

No, Lucifers is the last big drop in the canyon, right after Eye. I usually take the left side of the right channel, but followed one of our group further to the right, missed my boof and got endered. Rolled up right in front of the biggest pin rock in the whole damn rapid, took a quick back stroke and dropped backwards off the right side. Quick duffek in the backwash just in time to boof the last manky hole at the bottom. Not quite the line of choice. Could've been a lot worse though... just found out my buddy (who I was supposed to go with this weekend) broke his cheek bone and possibly ruptured an ear drum in Escalante yesterday....

Did you take the hero boof in 1st Mud on the right?

**skibuminwyo** · 04-23-2008, 12:47 AM

This looked liked something I could enjoy boating at my level, 3+.... Maybe not.

**Alpine Dreams** · 04-23-2008, 05:57 AM

Gotta luv the Ark!!

**Flowtorch** · 04-23-2008, 07:44 AM

Ok, Lucifers is the run out to the needle then? Sounds like in the old crc2 book it calls the needle and Lucifers one and the same. Either way it's good fun. I stuck more to the left of the right channel, near the island and I remember sliding around a few holes and boofin one...with a big grin on my face.

In the first mudslide I should have taken the hero boof! It looked enjoyable for sure! Instead we all went left. I was the second one to go, everything was going fine, getting lined up at the entrance and then all of a sudden the hole directly above the mudslide rapid snared me...time to hang on for some rodeo boatin! Got surfed in there for what felt like forever, finally flipped me, rolled up just in time to drop down the middle left side backwards...but I lined it up straight and just kind of flushed through avoiding any F'up rocks...with another big grin on my face.

SkiBumWyo-I wanna say the general nature of the run is 4+. The upper(first box) is probably 3+, great scenery and fun. When they get that road open you could do just the top half if you wanted, it would probably worth the trip with the other class 3, 4 stuff in the (san juan) area.

**Storm11** · 04-23-2008, 10:42 AM

It's really not that hard of a run (especially if you portage Eye), but it's committing and gorged in, so you really don't want to swim.

**Harv** · 04-23-2008, 11:27 AM

the hole are fun right now in Salida. It is hardly ever this good this early. Send a PM if anyone wants to paddle here in town. I am always down and only about 30 seconds from the boatramp on most days.

**420Powderpimp** · 04-24-2008, 08:03 AM

The Peidra isn't that hard, but I do think it is one of the more difficult class IVs in the state.

Matt,
who got fucked up on Escalante? I would keep the Florida beta on the down low on the buzz. I know John Eye who runs the dam at Lemon and he is a bastard about that water. I spoke to him earlier and he told me to fuck off and not to worry about what he will be releasing.

I always thought a schedualed release in the fall would be fun on that river. Maybe something for AW.

**Yonder_River** · 04-24-2008, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by Storm11

Could've been a lot worse though... just found out my buddy (who I was supposed to go with this weekend) broke his cheek bone and possibly ruptured an ear drum in Escalante yesterday.

Looks like another full-face mask helmet will be sold shortly...

**Storm11** · 04-24-2008, 10:28 AM

I'll give you a guess.... his name starts with J and ends with ohnny Love. He was all anti fullface, but now he's got one on order. Broke a cheek bone and an ear bone.

And yeah, I know John Eye is an asshole and can go fuck himself. I've had that same conversation with him before. Got hassled by some land owner up there yesterday as well. But whatever, it's all legal (except the takeout) and they've gotta release that water regardless of how fickle he is.

**Flowtorch** · 04-24-2008, 10:37 AM

Make with Florida pics fellas. I wanna see what it's all about.

**Storm11** · 04-24-2008, 12:09 PM

I'm headed back up this afternoon or tomorrow...I'll make with some pics.

Fun easy creekin. III+/IV- with a TON of little ledges to boof. Upper part starts out manky but reminiscent of the upper Taylor, then in come the ledges. One decent sized hole right under a low bridge that gets really exciting at higher flow. Then 4 bigger ledges down towards the bottom that can pack some punch above 600.

**skibuminwyo** · 04-24-2008, 01:08 PM

Hmmmm. That sounds like my cup o tea.

**cmsummit** · 04-24-2008, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by Storm11

I'm headed back up this afternoon or tomorrow...I'll make with some pics.

Fun easy creekin. III+/IV- with a TON of little ledges to boof. Upper part starts out manky but reminiscent of the upper Taylor, then in come the ledges. One decent sized hole right under a low bridge that gets really exciting at higher flow. Then 4 bigger ledges down towards the bottom that can pack some punch above 600.

sounds fun! this isn't in the new guidebook, is it?