# Best Colorado whitewater guide book?



## Jschnoor (Jul 25, 2011)

Just moved from the southeast and was wanting to pick up a good Colorado Whitewater book. Any suggestions? Thanks!


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## CWorthy (Jun 22, 2005)

I like Colorado Rivers and Creeks - I think I heard it's out of print (?), but it also looks like there are some available on Amazon.com


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## BarryDingle (Mar 13, 2008)

The more guidebooks,the better...


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## smauk2 (Jun 24, 2009)

White Water of the Southern Rockies... no contest. CRC is a great book as well, but WWSR is more current and covers more runs.


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## raftus (Jul 20, 2005)

The top 2 are Whitewater of the Southern Rockies (WWSR) and Colorado Rivers and Creeks (CRC). WWSR covers far more runs and a larger geographical scope (parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming and of course Colorado) and has more steep creeks. CRC often has more detail and maps for more common runs, it is also less expensive and older. I own both, both are good choices, if i could only have one it would be WWSR.


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## lemsip (Sep 11, 2009)

I recently found a copy of CRC at the kayak shop in Glenwood Springs. It seems that much of the information has been added to eddyflower.com.


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## Jschnoor (Jul 25, 2011)

Awesome! Thanks everyone!


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## mjpowhound (May 5, 2006)

Stay away from the Falcon guide. It is garbage.


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## craporadon (Feb 27, 2006)

Basically if you have anything other than Whitewater of the Southern Rockies (aka New Testament) your gonna look like a kook. WWDD, what would dirk do?


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

Big problem with Colorado Rivers and Creeks is they describe all the runs on a particular river from bottom to top (assbackwards). Most of us run rivers from top down. If you use different access points or run multiple sections it is screwy!


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## cpollema (Mar 9, 2009)

Is either geared more towards kayaking versus rafting? I would like to learn about the runs that an oar frame can fit down. Does that make a difference in which book is more appropriate?


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## smurf (Mar 8, 2006)

WWSR and CRC2 are both great books. However there is also another much older guide book to note called the Floaters Guide to Colorado. Its gives more of a geologic history and stories of early descents of many CO rivers. Plus it is interesting to see the differences in classification of the rivers from back in the day and now. Very informative and entertaining read.


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## DanOrion (Jun 8, 2004)

Eddyflower.com has really good run descriptions too. WWSR does a good job of describing runs over a range of flows. CRC2 has great maps for putin/takeout.


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## deepstroke (Apr 3, 2005)

Arrogant sandbaggers.


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## gannon_w (Jun 27, 2006)

Rich said:


> Big problem with Colorado Rivers and Creeks is they describe all the runs on a particular river from bottom to top (assbackwards). Most of us run rivers from top down. If you use different access points or run multiple sections it is screwy!


 
You don't run rivers from bottom to top? Weirdo!


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## BoilermakerU (Mar 13, 2009)

cpollema said:


> Is either geared more towards kayaking versus rafting? I would like to learn about the runs that an oar frame can fit down. Does that make a difference in which book is more appropriate?


I find them both to be geared more towards kayaking. WWSR does do a better job of identifying which are raftable or not though, IMO. I think they are both must haves though.


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## Kendrick (Jul 8, 2010)

lemsip said:


> I recently found a copy of CRC at the kayak shop in Glenwood Springs. It seems that much of the information has been added to *eddyflower.com*.





DanOrion said:


> *Eddyflower.com* has really good run descriptions too. WWSR does a good job of describing runs over a range of flows. CRC2 has great maps for putin/takeout.


Yeah, I actually became reliant on Eddyflower when I first started, and then it went down, which lead me to buying WWSR, so I could at least look up the gauges and determine what flows I should run things at. 

Eddyflower is amazing, but don't get stuck the next time it goes down. Which could be quite some time, from now, or next week, but WWSR will still come in handy, regardless.


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## cayo 2 (Apr 20, 2007)

cpollema,

Western Whitewater from the Rockies to the Pacific by Cassiday ,Cross ,and Calhoun,[google /on Amazon] is a fat guide book covering all the mountain west.The authors are more rafters than kayakers.It is a little old but tons of beta on runs ,then maybe cross reference for up to date logistics.


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## cpollema (Mar 9, 2009)

cayo 2 said:


> cpollema,
> 
> Western Whitewater from the Rockies to the Pacific by Cassiday ,Cross ,and Calhoun,[google /on Amazon] is a fat guide book covering all the mountain west.The authors are more rafters than kayakers.It is a little old but tons of beta on runs ,then maybe cross reference for up to date logistics.


smurf and cayo 2-thanks for the suggestions! Found them both used on Amazon. Should make good reading for the off season.


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## yetigonecrazy (May 23, 2005)

WWSR and CRC2 are both mandatory, like people said.

CRC1 (if you can find it) is fun for novelty and nostalgic value.

Paddling Colorado (the Falcon guide) is good for beginners, but its a bit basic. Still, it covers a fair amount of easier runs that the other books dont.

Floaters Guide is a great book, but hard to find. Its almost like the pre-cursor to CRC, filled with anecdotes, geologic facts, and fun tidbits.

If you have to rely on one book, buy WWSR. But you should try to get them all because the more beta the better. Plus they are all good reads too so you can expand your library of good books!


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