# ...BLACK CANYON CHEAT SHEET.....



## milo (Apr 21, 2004)

EAST PORTAL-----CHUKAR TRAIL
400-900cfs----creeking style
900-1100cfs-----optimum
1100-1300cfs-----starts to get big and pushy
1300-1900----pushy, funky, large and you'd better be on it, extra portages
1900-2500---- lines open up along the shore, LARGE, holes, noisy, not popular 
2500---was rowdy, was unintentional, forced my only "escape" out a gully
2500-3000cfs-----stay home and watch kayaking porn or put on if you've tested positive for HIV
*WARM UP--I,II's,III's(if you are not "feeling it" stop and hike back out while you can
*DAY WRECKER--V+(catch the must make river right eddy or line is left at top, charge right after first move)(one of my old girlfriends called me a day wrecker once, the next time i saw this shit-pot, well, the name stuck)
*RICK'S DROP--IV(pink boulders-multiple BOOF options, nic-named after my late best friend who nailed the boof when we where in our 2 person, pink ducky)-NOT RECOMMENDED!!!
*UPPER SQUEEZE--IV
*BOULDER GARDEN--IV
*DOORWAY SLOT--IV+
*"ON RAMP" w/S-TURN--V (largest horizon line past DAYWRECKER)
*RANDOM DROPS--II-III"s (boogie water)
*DOUBLE TROUBLE--V (boulder stacks, sieves and a midget wrestler hole, common place for people to swim)
*LOWER INTESTINE--V (huge boulders, undercuts, fun, ass-hole at bottom is sticky)
*CATCH THAT EDDY--III++ (get a visual on the river right eddy and then catch it or you'd better hope the force is with you:TRIPLE DROP is spittin' distance away)
*TRIPLE DROP--V++ or VI- (if you run this, AND SURVIVE, don't let your guard down because the exit hallway leads you directly and without hesitation into multiple sieves, top left side of PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE, this is where LOTSAWATER epic'd....nic-named the JANITOR'S CLOSET)
*PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE--V (scene of much carnage, fun rapid, make the move or end up in the OFFICE like i did 14 yrs ago, took me 5 attempts to get out of there...dangerous sieves along both shore lines- just ask CUTCH'S buddy)
*PLAYGROUND--IV (fun boof, loosen up your helmet strap because your lips are gettin' blue from the last set of drops)
*COWBOY--IV+ (fun and tricky, if you flip roll up quick)
*KATIE'S HOLE--IV+ (river wide 3' ledge hole that is very tuff to escape, new boulder on river right blocks the good route, better boof this thing, nic-named after KATIE NIEDERT'S demonstration on how hard it is to get out of the hole--with or without your boat/paddle attached to you) 
*BOULDER GARDEN--IV (relax and enjoy, your dropping into the NARROWS)
*NARROWS ENTRANCE--IV (very cool spot)
*NARROWS PINCH--III++ (mellow but the entire river goes under ground at the corner, eddy out left, then ferry to right where the wall ends and portage)
*TOILET BOWL--IV+ (funky currents, big rocks, fun, an undercut)
*NO NAME/NEW RAPID--IV+ (fast, fun, large fanner with toaster rocks, laterals with junky holes)
*CORNER POCKET--V (rock stacks, large boulders, twisty)
*PILLOW MOVE w/RUN-OUT--V (fun pillow move, good eddies, S-move at bottom to aviod pin rocks and the towering undercut wall)
*BALL CRUSHER--V+(?) long, steep, undercuts, cave at bottom right, nic-named after the amount of large balls i've seen crushed in there)
*LOST BOY SLOTS--V- (nic-named after my buddy JEFF SMITH got lost on his solo run and went the wrong way!, an epic tale that is better suited for beer drinking around a camp fire, needless to say go center or left...no big deal)
*18 FOOTER--(center with good left boof, we all know about the rock in the landing but what is more important is the large undercut rock just below on the left, eddy out left of it, ferry out and around it...higher flows charge off falls and avoid the eddy at bottom left, can be diificult to get out of.....)
*HELL PORTAGE--V (or class II if you enjoy suffering, eat some food, freak out, then put boat to shoulder and "git sum", poogies work great as portage pads-attach to your pfd, look for the SUPER HIGHWAY- a very faint trail these days, don't let your guard down, you have some very runnable but dangerous drops waiting for you, are you tired? dizzy? sore? pissed off because you could have done the NUMBERS or GORE again?...doesn't matter, you better get your shit together!!)
*CAVE CAMP FERRY-- (mellow, don't eat the raspberries, i think they've gone interracial with the IVY, but do enjoy LITTLE AUSTRALIA while you can)
*2ND FEERY-- (made sketchy by the gully washes of a couple of years ago, hairy ferry not recommended, seal launch ok at the right flows, new seal launch into dead end hallway ok too, i prefer the boat dock up against the wall-needs some work again after the last 2 years' floods but sets you up for a class 1 ferry to river right portage zone) 
*NEW GENERATION--P,NR, (soon to be down graded to VI- when a particular HEAVY DUTY MUTHA FUCKAR with initials T.H., gets his hair posse in there instead of my dumbass and gives 'er!!) (regulars can put in when/where deamed runnable--V-)
*DRAIN-O--P (at 1000+CFS you can bop down the far right side, up against the large rock, looks sketchy cauz it is, the drain is in the middle of the drop)
*BEACH CAMP (on your right, not as cool and protective as the cave camp)
*LIFE IN THE FAST LANE--V (large boulders and eddies, center line at the proper flows, boof the hole(looks like tunnel falls of gore) and don't get pushed into the monster undercut on your right, left down the fast side all other flows)
*PINBALL CITY--V (renamed SIEVE CITY after i learned what sieves were!, get out and scout this one for sure, crux move above RING OF SIEVES, a cluster of sieves, then make your way down the busiest, sketchiest II+++, then traverse center to a slot, then bounce down the remainder of the fun rapid)
*GREAT FALLS--P,NR (get up close to this most impressive horizon line in the canyon, then look left to LARSEN'S LEDGE, this is a one at a time eddy portage move, late boof the slot at flows of 1000+cfs if you want, just catch the eddy on river left right away or you might not make it home, portage down to the tall trees on river left)
*SMOKERS LOUNGE-- (enjoy a smoke or a cigarette if that's your deal and relax, great spot to drink up and have a snack for the long paddle out, the PAINTED WALL towers over you on river right, you're almost out)
*8 FOOT BOOF--IV (put back on at the base of the steep mank and run down to the large pink boulder on river left, boof this small falls and work back to the main flow to your right)
*BLENDER--IV+ (after working back to the main flow get ready for a nice boof that is now a bit trickier since the large flows rearranged the rocks)
*LITTLE CALI--IV (this one is super fun with fun boofs over holes that get large and sticky with bigger flows)
*VARIOUS DROPS--II-III (look for wild life and mega trout)
*LOWER SQUEEZE--IV (go between the cliff on the left and the large boulder in the center, wood and undercut action blocks a fun looking move to your right)
*WERNER TRAIL--V+, NR ( a viscous little(3000vert) shortcut trail that brings you back into the NATIONAL PARK, you'll see the toilet there for the fisherman)
*FLATWATER PADDLE OUT--1-2hrs (trust me, you'll love it because you survived or hate it because you're bonking)
*CHUKAR TRAIL--III, 900vert (stinks like horse piss but you're so close to your girl/beer/dry clothes/civilization/mac donalds/whatever you got goin' that it won't matter
*****TIME FRAME*****8-12 HOURS or quicker if you are training for the iron man or if you're dumb, old and can suffer(4.5hrs) i should note that ever person you add will add a minimum of an hour to your overall time, starting with 8hrs as a minimum, no epics

ENJOY THE PLACE, LEAVE NOTHING BUT BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS, NOT A PLACE TO TEST YOUR SKILLS BUT A PLACE TO PUT THEM TO USE, TRUST YOUR GUT HERE, AND AS ALWAYS USE A PFD AND A PROPER FITTING HELMET......... CAPTAIN BLACK


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## yetigonecrazy (May 23, 2005)

damn milo, well done. thats no doubt years and years of painstaking work put into that list, thanks for being so kind to share it with all of us! definitely a positive resource for a run that is shrouded in a lot of mystery and lore....


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## jeffsssmith (Mar 31, 2007)

*De-classified*

Now that this formerly classified list had been officially de-classified I will publish this old list from the past.








Don't forget to bring the spinning rod with a large silver spinner to sample the world class trout fishing that most fisherman will never see. This can be accomplished while scouting or waiting for your boating partners to portage.


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## 217 (Oct 27, 2003)

Bummed we never got to run it together Milo. I've been told over and over again that you were the one to show the way.


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## COUNT (Jul 5, 2005)

Milo=The Shit.


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## milo (Apr 21, 2004)

*...trial and error....*

...it took many runs and nic-names to figure the place out and make sense of the order....ignorance WAS bliss back in the early days...it seems i portage way more than then but i've seen and participated in too many carnage events down there! i've rambled on for years about the place knowing it would never be popular...it is close to home, always runs, always provides that "funny feeling"...it sees more and more traffic these days with all the young wipper-snappers getting into the sport...the cheat sheet is only a reference to "what to expect"...i started running it in a hurricane back in 94-95...and i'm shooting for my 50th run by this fall(god willin' and the river don't rise)....2 in a day to "top it all off"...it is nice to follow somebody down a new stretch of water when they are smilin'...especially a stretch that is doomy.....i always tried to keep a smile on my face, with all the crews and boaters that i've led down that rad fukin' canyon...the place has turned my hair grey a bit early, but all worth it...it is not the only river i run as some would think...it is on my turf...period...my last 2 swims where in there....that's one swim per 22.5 runs...not so bad...i would've swam more if i didn't trust my gut and portage....this place is not swimmer friendly, the shoreline is not inviting...but the canyon is!!!even though Mc Donald's fine dining is several miles away...it seems like it is many days away!!! i've enjoyed showing the place to people...looking forward to it as soon as those flows drop out(i've heard 26th of this month they should drop)....i also look forward to hanging out with Tommy H. and Jules C. on the DAILY DOUBLE....even if i go into the fetal position on the way out chukar(which i won't) i'll enjoy that too....peace JUNIORranger420CB


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## doublet (May 21, 2004)

Bumping this cuz I've got the Black on the brain...also sounds like last weekend might have been a first d of 'New Generation'.


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## doublet (May 21, 2004)

Bumping again because I had an awesome weekend in the Black. I watched some sickbirds fire up New Generation and I also had the pleasure of watching R. Kelly style the Great Falls portage from top to bottom. Sick run for sure.


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## KSC (Oct 22, 2003)

Where are the polaroids?


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## thecraw (Oct 12, 2003)

Dub... what were the temps in there as opposed to Montrose? Meaning what differences should we expect to see in there from what they are forecasting in Montrose?

Not familiar with the run or the area. Montrose looks to be a bit chilly on Wed/Thursday. Not sure what that means for in the canyon beyond "cooler" I am sure.


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## deepsouthpaddler (Apr 14, 2004)

Craw, gunnison pleasure park runs shuttles for the gunny gorge. They may be able to figure something out for you for a black shuttle. Google and give em a call.


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## milo (Apr 21, 2004)

*....temps....*

....in my honest opinion, it is always warmer in the canyon.....black walls feel like an oven sometimes....no need to worry about that....i'd be concerned about rain during the portage....makes it 2 notches tougher.....see you monkeys at chukar tonight.....gonna wear tight levis for ya.....milozadik


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## milo (Apr 21, 2004)

*.....new names....*

Xhairboater13, [email protected] cu, ROLF KELLY(funny how his first name sounds like a grown man puking, as i am sure that several were feeling like it!!!!)....new names please...i would like to edit my "cheat sheet"....i nic-named the big bird, GREAT FALLS of the GUNNY because it reminded me of all the photos i've seen of the GREAT FALLS of the POTOMAC.....somebody else(old boy kayakers) named NEW GENERATION due to the fact that it would take a new generation of kayakers to run it....i still like both names, but edit i will.....hook a *****.............................. CAPTAIN BLACK 420 CB.......


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## [email protected] (Apr 26, 2006)

The new generation sounds like the public name but there is a new creative name for that I would probably get kicked off the forum for posting, might have to come down there and tell you the name myself if i can get another trip down there this year.
Great falls, they were talking about the maze but that doesn't sound badass at all, we need to come up with a better name for that one.
-Tom


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## bigboater (Dec 10, 2003)

I've taken Milo's cheat sheet and worked it into my AW description. Luckily me and Schizzle just took a trip down there and managed to take a lot of pictures, so there is a picture representing most major drops. Check it out here American Whitewater - NWRI - Gunnison 02. Crystal Dam to Chukar Trail

I'm missing some good pics of day wrecker, the portage, pinball/closet, and great falls. Anybody got some?

This is still a work in progress. Milo, you got an idea of the milages to each rapid?


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## [email protected] (Apr 26, 2006)

I have some pictures that you can put up on the site, I have pics from: Daywrecker, lower intestine, ball crusher, waterfall, some pics at cave camp, next generation (not listed in the rapids) and great falls.
-Tom
[email protected]


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## xkayaker13 (Sep 30, 2006)

The New Generation should be "Generation Y", since that's the first generation to run it. There is another name that is dirtier than the rapid itself, but I don't think it is appropriate. LOL


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