# Big South Wood Status 6/23/13



## Schizzle (Mar 26, 2004)

We did a trip from the Medicine Bow curve off Trail Ridge road this weekend. Lots and lots of hiking due to low flows up high. If you're thinking about a trip from the source still this season, I would advise against it at this point in the season.

All major rapids were clean and runnable. Some wood in the lower section in the boogey rapids, but this is pretty much the same stuff that's been there in years past. It's not that it isn't a hazard it's just that most people know about it by now. *One new log of particular notice is directly after (100 feet maybe) Pin Cushion on river right extending past center. As you grind the living bejeezus out of the center rock at pin cushion, be very stoked on your killer grind, but get left quickly.*

Someone said the level was three marks down from the top, but I was too busy taking in calories to go check myself. I would say 2/3rds of that flow comes from Long Draw via Weird Creek. Logistically, you need a lot more water to be coming from snow melt in order to make the source trip worth it, IMO.


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## Marty (Oct 14, 2003)

What time of the day did you put on up high?


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## Schizzle (Mar 26, 2004)

About 6 pm. Snow's gone. Time of day won't make much of a difference.


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## Miller Time (Apr 3, 2009)

You ran source to take out after 6 pm? Or did you have an over night trip and finish the next day?


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## ACC (Oct 30, 2003)

Duh. They ran it from source to takeout after 6pm. Tiger blood.


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## smauk2 (Jun 24, 2009)

I was checking out the route you guys hiked on google maps. Did you hike all the way to the Hague Creek/Poudre confluence, if so... shit! Is there a trail? It looked at least five miles from Medecine Bow Curve to the confluence.

I also read about putting in below Poudre Lake off of Trail Ridge Road, but as you said, I imagine it's too dry. 

About a Vertical Poudre Mile – Cache la Poudre Source to Canyon Mouth | Boofington Heights

The Upper Poudre still has the goods. Spencer heights laps are still a lot of fun! The lower half of The Big South is still "easily" accessible, don't give up hope people! Paddle across Barnes Meadow Reservoir and hike down the hill until you hit the river. You can also ferry across the river and hike up until you're above Prime Time Gorge. Combine it with Spencer Heights for extra goods.










Leif in The Elevator Boof on Spencer Heights.


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## Miller Time (Apr 3, 2009)

ACC said:


> Duh. They ran it from source to takeout after 6pm. Tiger blood.


Hey Llama lover.... Do you know Fremont? I'm just giving him a hard time. Quit assuming you're the beta book and everyone else is just an easy mountain buzz kill.


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## Cutch (Nov 4, 2003)

Miller, those two know each other, and rumor has it there's beef between them ever since ACC crushed Fremont in the Blackrock Race. 

Spencer, nice link, that trip was epic goodness. Banks, Ben (from back east), and I also put on at 6:30pm on Saturday from the bridge, and there was noticeably less water than our top to bottom trip. Low enough to run all of the rapids, but high enough that the big four were stomping. The low flow on the lead-in was brutal on the boats, and time, and we ended up camping a few miles above the Weird Creek confluence. I felt that it was worth it, knowing that it was my best chance to catch good flows this season, but with any less water it would require a lot more hiking.

Still had a great Sunday, and ran all of Big South and Spencer Heights except for Meltdown (not sure why we portaged), Rush (more new wood, and it's scary), and Poudre Falls (not enough tiger blood in our system, ever). I found some good playboating by angling right off Double Trouble, pitoning, flipping, rolling up, dropping switch off drop two, doing some cartwheels and rolls in the pocket eddy on the right, with a thin line of escape that wasn't obvious from the scout. Banks found a sweet side surf at the top of Slideways, that conveniently feeds into a nice river left pocket hole... perfect for aerial back enders. Throw in a few more rolls, pitons, and sketchy would dodging, and it was a pretty typical Big South day.

The shuttle was horrendous... not having a shuttle driver. But we did get to see a sizable brown bear running after some deer. And some moose. And a massive elk herd. 

Now if we could just get that gate opened...


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## Schizzle (Mar 26, 2004)

No worries Miller , let me explain. Yeah I got beef with that guy since my job is to sponge out his boat for him while he scouts every since smoking me in the blackrock race.

I bet ACC could do a top to bottom from trail ridge in 3 hrs. Or maybe he just extends it to post sundown because he can see in the dark. The only guy I have ever met still down for a light Kermit's through lowers run after doing a hundred mile Mtn bike race the previous day on....wait for it....A SINGLE SPEED!?!??! I want the Official Black Rock Race committee to test him next year for blood doping. I think he and Kyle are both taking human growth hormone. I demand a recount!


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