The Intraweb Home of Andy White

Date:  2009-06-05 5:30pm

Run:  Clear Creek – Tunnel 1 Down

Flow:  750 cfs

Class:  III

Temperature:  60s (?)

Buddies:  Chadwick Shoults

Description:  Quick after-work run from Tunnel 1 down.  Clear Creek starts to get good above 750cfs.

Carnage:  None

Date:  2009-05-22 6:00pm

Run:  Clear Creek (Lower to Playpark)

Flow:  600 cfs

Class:  IV/III

Temperature:  60 with scattered rain

Buddies:  Chadwick Shoults, Fino, Fello

Description:  After work run down Lower Clear Creek.  I think 600 is a great level for Lower CC.  Most of the rocks are covered, so you don’t have to work as hard to avoid them than at 300 cfs.  The water flows fast through the lower section, it seems like it cuts the run time in half compared to lower flows.  Elbow Falls was good, at this flow, it sort of breaks into two distinct drops, both of which are not bad.  There’s a nice eddy on the left before you get into the main part of the falls.  For the first drop, start on the left, and paddle hard to the right to avoid the first big pour-over.  In this particular run, I ended up sitting in another eddy near the wall on the right side.  The second drop is more of a hole, but it starts to get washed-out at this flow, so it’s no big deal.  Screamin’ 1/4 mile was good too, most of the rocks were covered, so it was just a continuous run of waves and holes.  I made it through clean, except for one somewhat ugly hand brace off a rock.  For today’s run, I used my brand new IR drytop, and it was nice.  I stayed much drier and warmer.

Chadwick filmed a few sections, I’ll link to the video when he puts it up.

Carnage:  None

Date:  2009-04-29 6:20pm

Run:  Lower-Lower Clear Creek (first tunnel down), Golden Play Park

Flow:  140 cfs

Class:  easy III

Temperature:  70 deg (warm)

Buddies:  Nick Lamb, Chadwick Shoults, Fino

Description:  Just a quick after-work run from the tunnel down to the library hole at Golden.  It was a nice day.  140cfs is super low, but doable.  I’m looking forward to the flows coming up.

Carnage:  None

I’m going to keep a log of all the kayak trips I’ve gone on this summer.  I wish I would have done this the past few years, because now I don’t have any idea about which runs I did when, and at what flows…  Here is the first entry:

Date:  2009-04-25 9:00am

Run:  Lower Clear Creek, Golden Play Park

Flow:  170 cfs

Class:  IV, III

Temperature:  40 deg (cloudy and cold)

Buddies:  Fino (James Orofino), Fello (Rafaello Sacerdoti)

Description:  It was a pretty cold day, but I managed to stay dry and mostly warm (except for my hands).  Lower CC at 170 cfs is pretty low, but it’s actually pretty doable.  I ended up bouncing off of a lot of rocks, but I felt pretty comfortable for the first run of the year – I guess all the work last year has paid off!  Elbow falls was good, and screamin’ 1/4 mile was good, but bony.  Portaged around the gnarly diversion dam, just to be safe.  When we got down to the playpark, the School of Mines were doing a cardboard boat race for a freshman projects class, which was pretty funny to watch.  The Golden playpark has changed a lot since last year, they’ve done a lot of work trying to make better surfing holes.  It looks pretty promising, can’t wait for the flows to come up some more.

Carnage:  Stayed upright, except for one stupid roll in the play park (laziness)