# State Bridge to Dotsero



## ENDOMADNESS (Jun 21, 2005)

Here is the colorado river guide. The guide gives time ranges (1-2 hours) for each section....more than likely at this flow you will be on the shorter time frame. (unless there is massive wind after lunch)


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## foulhooked1 (Mar 29, 2010)

endo not sure what you mean. no link to guide. Im thinking it may be like 12-14 hours.


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## ENDOMADNESS (Jun 21, 2005)

lets try the attachment again... i think 12 hours is fair guess


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## webby (Jul 11, 2008)

Yo Hooked1- near state bridge the river is at 1,000cfs which even without a headwind is pretty slow going down to catamount about 16 miles. In this stretch there is only one name class II rapid Windy Point. Windy Point camp is excellent. Below catamount is an easy class II drop named Alkali. Then comes the big daddy of the upper c, Landslide aka Rodeo Rapid a solid class III. This drop is roadside and easy to scout/portage. Pinball Point has camping and milage wise would work for you. Soon you enter Red Canyon. Pinball Rapid is a shortways down river, an easy class III. Some lively water leads to a great camp at Jacks Flat. Twin Bridges Rapid class II+ ends this highly scenic stretch. Their is a small rapid at Horse Creek and two nice access points/camps at Cottonwood and Lyons Gulch. Two small riffles are located between Cottonwood and Dotsero. Total milage just under 50 miles.


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## foulhooked1 (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks webby good stuff. I was thinking about pinball. Are there facillitys there? Would I need groover, fire pan? What do you think about other camping options? BLM? How long do you think this will take total?


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## summitraftgirl (Jul 23, 2008)

Webby has it right. Be sure to check out CO's largest waterwheel on river-left as you go through McCoy, river mile 31.7 on the guide that endomadness attached. We just did this from Rancho to Cottonwood over the July 4th weekend in 3 days, 2 nights. We stopped at Double Pine for lunch on our first day and thought it would be an awesome campsite, however the railroad is directly across the river - be sure to bring earplugs just in case you have to camp at a site that is really close to the railroad! We ended up camping at Cottonwood Bend on our first night. Nice, large site with a fire ring close to the water, and then another one back behind the cottonwoods - plenty of flat ground. The second night we camped at Jacks Flats. This is BY FAR my favorite campsite on the entire Upper C. LOTS of great hiking and opportunities for exploring the area. This is in the Bull Gulch Wilderness study area, so take advantage if you can. The is a prime campsite because there is a natural birm that blocks the road and railroad, so it's QUIET! The nice thing about doing the lower stretch is that not many people, other than a few fisherman, do this stretch. So, it's relatively peaceful and you pretty much have the river to yourself. We took out at the ramp just past Cottonwood Island. Be sure to bring PLENTY of bug spray and a big mesh tent (if you have one) - we had all of this and still gotten eaten up pretty well. The photos are of the Jacks Flats campsite. Enjoy your trip!


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## summitraftgirl (Jul 23, 2008)

I think there is a pit toilet at Pinball, but I'm not 100% sure as I've never camped there. We always like to camp on the side opposite of the road so it's quiet. There are no firepans or groovers required this year, but the BLM will be enforcing it next year. I think it's good idea to bring a groover just in case, and to make sure you aren't abusing the land. In fact, I was talking with a ranger at Pumphouse a month or so ago, and he said that he has been telling people to start bringing groovers and firepans this year just to get in the habit of doing it. I know that the BLM is tearing down fire rings on the upper stretch, but they haven't gotten too far past State Bridge.


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## foulhooked1 (Mar 29, 2010)

Endo thanks for the PDF this is exactly what I was looking for. Its a little out of date but the mileage and maps are perf.


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## foulhooked1 (Mar 29, 2010)

Summit, thanks for the info/ pics Jacks looks awesome. Cruising through the wilderness away from the masses is exactly why I want to do this float. Mileage would also work. any idea how long (hrs) the float would be from State to Jacks?


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## summitraftgirl (Jul 23, 2008)

State Bridge to Jacks Flats is gonna be a LONG day. It's approx. 30 river miles and, based on the map, would take approx. 14 hrs without factoring in the headwind. I would definitely break this up, especially since you WILL encounter that infamous Upper C headwind.


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## webby (Jul 11, 2008)

Yo Hook1- Here it is. 
State Bridge to Catamount = 16 miles and 7 hours
Catamount to Pinball Point = 9 m and 5 hrs.
Pinball to Dotsero = 20 m and 10 hrs.
Windy Point, Catamount, Pinball, Cottonwood & Lyons Gulch have toilets, metal fireplaces and picnic tables. Jacks Flat is wilderness style camping and I would recommend having a toilet system.


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## foulhooked1 (Mar 29, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the info boats are packed, heading out in the am. EARLY. Wish me luck! Its gunna be one long day tomorrow.


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## foulhooked1 (Mar 29, 2010)

Did it in 13 1/2 hrs. Almost did the whole thing in one day. missed jacks and just kept going. made pinball in about 6 hrs. gauge @ kremtucky read 1250, 2300 @ dot. Fishing is off the hook!


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## ssoren1 (Jul 14, 2009)

foulhooked1, so you did State Bridge to Pinball. Isn't pinball before jacks. I'm looking to float this stretch next weekend. Probably put on Friday and take out Sunday. Looking to hit the fishing hard. Put in at Rancho but not too sure where to take out. Rancho runs shuttle but only to certain take outs. Is this correct Buzzers? Any suggestions from those that have floated this section considering 3 days, 2 nights, paying for a shuttle and fishing it. Foulhook - if you don't mind what was working, I imagine hopper droppers, ants, beetles, those kinds of things? Thanks-


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## jdove (Jul 28, 2009)

Can someone give me info on Pinball rapids? Would it be an easy portage like Rodeo?
(my 5-yr-old will be in the tandem duckie with me)...


Thanks,
Jim


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## jdove (Jul 28, 2009)

Also, does anyone know if the Alamo Creek takeout (below Pinball) site is still open
to public access? (The blm guide says it is private land with a temporary right-of-way
but the guide is quite old...)


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