A Fantastic Fall Float Down Westwater Canyon!!!

Hi Rafters,

We just returned from a fabulous trip down Westwater Canyon.  Fall is my favorite time to float this river with the leaves changing the the flows stilling being fun at about 4000 cfs!    If you've never been, here is how you obtain a permit to float Westwater!





There were 12 people in our group, no kids (which makes the challenging westwater rapids less anxiety producing!!!).  We spent the night at the campsite called Little D and had a great time.  Meals were Asian Stir Fry for dinner and breakfast burritos the next morning.  This was a great group with everyone pitching in and floating good lines.

Here are some pic!



My purple Maravia is always noticeable on the river!!!



Steve made me (once again) want to get a cool Bimini!!!



I forget what this little inflatable was called but this dude rocked it!!!



Our fleet was a diverse one!!!  You should have seen him run Sock It To Me!!!  I was below and saw 3/4 of the bottom of his boat as he hit the wave-train!









I'm not sure what's going on here, but I'm sure it involved fun!!!





I love this area of Westwater, no you're coming into the canyon.  See the contract between the redstone upper canyon and the polished Precambrian Rocks which are estimated to be 1.7 Billion years old!





The perfect camp site!



This is one badass group of river runners!





My advice is never miss a chance to run Westwater!!!

Bill Strong of Denver on Rafting!

The Arkansas is dropping fast, get there while the getting is good!

Hi All,

I took my family and 3 others rafting down Browns Canyon last Saturday.  It's starting to drop so if you want to hit Browns do it soon!

It was flowing at 1300 CFS which is a fun level for a family float!  It was my wonderful wife's birthday, so we made a picnic and relaxed on the beach above the canyon.  In my opinion Browns is good until it gets under 1000 CFS, so we only have a few more weeks left.

The weekend before it was flowing at 2600, which is about my favorite level.  I ran it at 5000 4 weeks ago, which isn't a family friendly level.

I keep meaning to post about our fantastic trip down Lodore Canyon, back soon!

Bill Strong of Denver on Family Rafting!!!

Fun Rafting So Far!!! Browns Canyon and Royal Gorge!!!!

Hi All,

Well it sure has been a great year so far!  It's been a long time since I've posted on this blog.  Most of us rafters have river fever, so I thought I'd check in!

We have been floating Browns Canyon and the Royal Gorge this spring, with a few trips on the Upper Colorado.
 

The year stated out a little slow with all the cold weather we've had, with the run-off being delayed.  I know all of us got really sick of the rain, but it was a good thing with our snow-pack being 59% of normal back in April.

Our trips with family and friends have mostly consisted of Browns Canyon, which is a favorite of ours, with a few trips down Royal Gorge, which is quite a ride for sure.  Browns finally got above 1500 CFS (go here to learn about CFS), anything above 1200 is fun in my book, below that and Browns isn't as fun.  There is great camping on both river right and left before you get into the canyon, with two sites river right once you're in the canyon.

The Royal Gorge is a serious float, not for the inexperienced or faint of heart.  The rapids are imposing at levels above 1000 CFS, with potential drastic consequences if you flip or swim.  These rapids have long stretches with few spots to eddy out, so a swim can be dangerous.

I'll be back soon with pics of more trips.  Lodore Canyon awaits us, which is always a great river trip.



Bill Strong of  Denver on Family Rafting!!!