# Confluence



## Don (Oct 16, 2003)

*kayaking*

I'll be out there after I close up the shop at 6:00. And, I don't paddle in cold water with out ear plugs anymore either. Should be a good time.


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## Caspian (Oct 14, 2003)

Headed out in the next hour or so, proplugs and noseclips in tow. Skatepark wave should be *ON* at these levels. It rocks at 1000, and the ferry is easy at higher water.


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## Caspian (Oct 14, 2003)

Hey Frenchy, the Buzz clock might be off - I just posted that at 2:30, and it says I posted it at 11:30am. Hmmm.


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## ryguy (Jan 19, 2005)

OK, What is the deal with confluence? Some people like it, others say that they would not dare set foot in there. I see that it is flowing at the moment. But does that mean you are surfing with turds??


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## Caspian (Oct 14, 2003)

You'll have to decide for yourself - that's the only fair thing to say. Some hate it, I dig it, and the number of people that don't go mean that there's a very short queue in the eddy.


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## jonny water (Oct 28, 2003)

I grew up learning to surf/ferry/roll at a place in Atlanta now called the $h!T hole. It is a section of the Chattahoochee that runs thru the metro area. I think it was a lot worse than the Confluence, but it was fun and made me into a much better paddler. Right now, since there is nothing else going off and since I just bought a new playboat (thanks Badkins), I'm off to try out the play and hopefully spend a minimal amount of time up-side-down. When the real rivers are running, you won't find me down at Confluenza.


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## Holebait (May 2, 2004)

*Not worth it IMO*

My last adventure at Confluence yielded seven weeks of extraordinary stomach trouble and an opportunity to practice soiling the underside of my toilet seat about six time per day. This was caused either by giardia or some chemical in the water that was strong enough to kill all the giardia. Take your pick.

I personally am more than happy to help keep the lines short at Confluence.


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## JonS (Sep 9, 2004)

*7 weeks*

Seven weeks is a long time, is that typical?

Jon.


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## G-rideMT (Apr 10, 2005)

Hey, i will be free tuesday at like 2:30. I am currently living in greeley. so how do i get there from here? and whats all this talk about getting sick or some shit? what kinda place is this?

kevin


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## Chief Niwot (Oct 13, 2003)

Bring your class V Hazmat suit!


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## mattyb (Oct 31, 2003)

*quit yur crying...*

It's city runoff. Streets get dirty. It rains hard and the runoff ends up in the river. There are some detergents in the water as well. 
There have been numerous threads about the water quality of confluence (search for them). Boulder Creek has more fecal matter in it for a reference. I would recommend nose plugs as I would with any urban paddling experience. 
Whether you get sick depends on your immune system. I paddled at Confluence for many years with no isses. The sickest I have ever been from paddling happened on the Numbers section of the Ark. You just never know. 
The playboating at high water confluence is awesome, probably only second to Union Chutes and maybe Salida in multiple-feature, Colorado playablility. (If you scoff you haven't been there at high water, the real fun is not in the park.)
If you're interested, check it out. If you get sick. Don't go back. 
The seven-week pooping thing seems unlikely that he would be the sole example of the sickness but, once again, you never know.


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

*Boulder Creek/Confluence Fecal Coloform*

Regarding the statement that Boulder Creek has more Fecal Coliform, I've talked to Claire McGrath about this and from what I remember, she said that you have to take that with a grain of salt. It seems like there was one sample collected each from Confluence and Boulder Creek by undergrad students that were doing a class project, and the one from Confluence was brought in in an antifreeze jug or something like that. Typically sampling for water quality is done with a bit more stringent protocols and also several samples are collected during a specified period. 

--Andy


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## JJH (Oct 14, 2003)

An old school boater from England, once told me when paddling in the gutters, to drink plenty of Coke (2 litres, some before, some after). It always prevented him from getting sick and me too. ????


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## Roy (Oct 30, 2003)

I've paddled Connie for 10+ yrs a couple times a year at least. Never got sick from it that I know of. Did the Coke thing in foreign countries, but not here.

Small doses build your immune system for when you get that big dose!


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## Phillips (Feb 19, 2004)

Yeah Coke is a little acidic, but I don't think it's gonna kill any bacteria present in water. I mean the digestive juices in your stomach are a lot more acidic than cola, so it shouldn't have an affect.

KP


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## DanOrion (Jun 8, 2004)

Whenever I'm at confluence, I pack a fishing net to catch any finless brown trout that might swim by :shock:


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## Dirty Al (Oct 13, 2003)

I know this seems ridiculous, but Coke actually is almost identical in pH to that of stomach acid. 
I have paddled confluence on multiple occasions at different levels and never been sick as a result, and when I was first learning I know I consumed more "dirty" water than I should have.
--Al


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## Lurch (Jun 8, 2004)

I've heard gum soaked in tee tree oil works well.

The thing that disturbs me about union chutes and confluence is sitting in eddies with sewer debris and racing Styrofoam cups down stream.


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## ryguy (Jan 19, 2005)

i went yesterday for the first time. It was gross, but I just started off by taking a large gulp, just to get used to it. I was amazed by how good the waves were, and by how many kaykers and trash you can fit in one eddy!


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## kveith (Apr 12, 2005)

had a friend at union chutes swim and come up with a tampon in between his toes...personally dont wanna be in that water

Also, never been to confluence and not gotten sick. Gotten at least a cold every time.


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## DanOrion (Jun 8, 2004)

A finless white trout! What a lucky catch, those are very rare. With his toes nonetheless, extremely impressive! May I ask if he had it stuffed and mounted?


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## The A-Hole (Apr 11, 2005)

Last year I gulped down mouthfuls of confluence water. It tastes like chicken.

I got stomach sick twice and had a bad ear infection last spring. Like a dumbass I went again last year when there was a big summer runoff. You know...when Cherry Creek turns that radioactive color? Didnt get sick that time. 

Confluence gets fed alot of crap literally but I cant think of another major city with such a cool downtown feature.

Are there really trout in confluence park? I've only seen those big radioactive three-eyeballed carp...not a good sign for water quality.

I once caught a carp there and left it out of water for over three hours. When I got back from Church it was still alive. They scare me. Fish aren't supposed to do that.


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

he actually caught an albino finless at confluence!!!! the closest i have come is finding one with its head bashed in on the beach in cataract. i expect they'd live at confluenza but cataract!!




"I once caught a carp there and left it out of water for over three hours. When I got back from Church it was still alive. They scare me. Fish aren't supposed to do that."


The A-hole, you have seriously got to use this as your quote.


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## The A-Hole (Apr 11, 2005)

When I gutted the carp I found a noseplug. It didnt fit so I chucked it.


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## Phillips (Feb 19, 2004)

As far as ph goes-coke is 2.5 while stomach acid is 2.0 Eventhough this difference may seem minor, its a good deal greater than what you might think. pH=-log[H+]. pH is just a way to compare acidities which can't be compared by hydrogen or hydroxide concentrations alone.


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## cayo (Mar 20, 2005)

as a ten year veteran of playing union in my duckies and even more comically my kayaks i have probably swam there more than anyone also frequent boulder creek and occaisonaly confluence urban clear creek ,cherry creek ,and bear creek aint never got sick!!! also travel frequently to mexico, belize 'guatemala and honduras and years ago to europe multiple times do all the stuff your'e not supposed to foodwise ( idont drink tap water in guat honduras and only a little in mexico)never had more than minor runs i have used the coke method seems to help point is your constitution IS a factor if you got sick for weeks after boating down town it's mostly you dude 
in regards to belize some jackasses a while back wrote a post about belize , as an afficinado of this paradise i was psyched even though it was about sea kayaking but when i read it they were just whining about getting sick STAY HOME ****** MY 2 CENTS... LATE


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## cstork (Oct 13, 2003)

Wow, Confluence is lots of fun at 400 cfs. You guys are missing out. 

I've paddled it probably 60 times. Got sick once. Learned to keep my mouth shut.


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