# Yampa at high water



## toddmcm (May 6, 2004)

Any of you young enough to have run the Yampa in 1984 at high water? It peaked at 32,000 cfs. What was it like?


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## David L (Feb 13, 2004)

I spoke with my buddy about that last weekend. Mostly what we remember was fast water. The rapids were not as big a deal as we expected, because of either washout or easy sneaks to grab. Don't remember what specific water level we had, but it was high.


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## calendar16 (Mar 8, 2007)

Kind of what I thought! Looking forward to that section, never done it!

Launching on the 11th, wholly shizer that's next Wednesday, I'm psyched!


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## basinrafter (May 12, 2009)

Anybody done Lodore at really high water? Currently running at 9000 cfs, and they say it might stay that high until the Yampa has peaked! Can't seem to find any info on runs over 5000.


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## CWorthy (Jun 22, 2005)

We launch next week on the 9th, and although it looks like the weather's warming up, I don't think we'll see 32K (but it would sure be nice!). Coupled with the release on the Green, Split Mountain should be a hoot! :lol:


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## BarryDingle (Mar 13, 2008)

Saw Warm Springs flip a dude at around 14-15k,in early May one year. I think it was a solid IV(finally). Not exactly 32k though.....
Split Mtn was pretty washed out at 16k...but fast!

Lodore at 9k would be a blast,i bet. Holla


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## dport (May 10, 2006)

basinrafter said:


> Anybody done Lodore at really high water? Currently running at 9000 cfs, and they say it might stay that high until the Yampa has peaked! Can't seem to find any info on runs over 5000.


A friend of mine did his first over niter on Lodore in 83, seemed like the were letting out the full generation power, I believe 4600, plus the by pass tunnells at 4000, and it was going out the overflow. I think they felt it was at about 12,000. Reports of huge holes in upper and lower Disaster, and very fast. When we were on Lodore last year, he said that after all of these years of his experiance gained, he wished that he could see that level again to compare it to what he knows about boating now. Guess he got it, well close any way. We picked up a cancelation for the 8th of June.
Be safe out there,Dennis


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## pinemnky13 (Jun 4, 2007)

We got a permit for the 26th, I can't wait!


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## asleep.at.the.oars (May 6, 2006)

Seen video of Lodore @ 10k, lots of big waves & big holes in the named rapids.
Heard stories of Yampa that high. It sounds like it all comes down to Warm Springs - which gets absolutely huge. Somebody please post some video.
Lots of trips in Split >20K, but not >30k - lots of big wave trains. It can take less than 30 minutes to run all of Split.


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## peak (Apr 7, 2006)

don't overlook the surprise hole at Teepee that can flip a boat also at high water...


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## swiftwater15 (Feb 23, 2009)

*Dino high water*

I remember in '83 doing a scout trip down high water Lodore. I don't remember how high. It was post-dam record high water at the time. Harp Falls was a huge fun wave train., Disaster was a sneak on the left, Hells was of the same move as usual,except that there were big laterals pushing out into bigger stuff in the middle. We did The Gates to to Split Mountain as a day trip. The Yampa at big water was manageable. Just had to watch out for dead cows and huge, full-canopy cottonwoods coming down the river, half submerged, and occasionally surging up and spinning like a movie kraken. Warm Springs was fun. The laterals were big and pushed hard into the hole, which was huge. Had to hang out a little in the wave train then punch hard for the point. I remember being a little wigged out at having to make the run in a gear-laden bucket boat (they all were) with skinny hypothermic high school kids as paddlers. The '83 or 84 high water nicked a little of the point away in Warm Springs, making the run easier, at least for a while. Split was big rollers. The water was over the top of the big house rock in the eddy at Moonshine.


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## Canyon Wren (Mar 31, 2011)

*Yampa at real high water?*

Are the rapids (except for Warm Springs) mostly washed out, or do they get larger? Is TeePee the only one to watch out for? Are the campsites affected (less space)? We are going Memorial Day, first time for nearly all of us.


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## ecarlson972 (Apr 24, 2007)

We have a launch date for June 29th. With such a high snowpack do you think there is Any chance of above average flows then? I am keeping my fingers crossed!


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## BarryDingle (Mar 13, 2008)

The only thing I remember about the other rapids was the huge hole,in the middle of Teepee. Which was easily avoidable on both sides,i believe. I rarely remember the other rapids,besides Warm Springs. I still say its a one-rapid river. But a badass one...


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## cindy427 (May 10, 2011)

My husband ran it in 84. Gave up boating for 5 years. All but 1 boat flipped. He has a great pic of an empty boat!


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## calendar16 (Mar 8, 2007)

Launching tomorrow morning...above 14K right now...yeee haaa!

Get me out of work and off this computer already!


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## pinemnky13 (Jun 4, 2007)

calendar16 said:


> Launching tomorrow morning...above 14K right now...yeee haaa!
> 
> Get me out of work and off this computer already!


Have Fun! Please relay a report when you get back!


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## kazak4x4 (May 25, 2009)

BarryDingle said:


> The only thing I remember about the other rapids was the huge hole,in the middle of Teepee. Which was easily avoidable on both sides,i believe. I rarely remember the other rapids,besides Warm Springs. I still say its a one-rapid river. But a badass one...


Big Joe might get quite a bit bigger. I'd also love to see the Tiger wall at high flow, when the water comes up right to the stripes.


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## chepora (Feb 6, 2008)

Just got off and everything but warm springs was washed out...some big holes but very avoidable.


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## Canyon Wren (Mar 31, 2011)

Cindy427, Where did these boats all flip? Looks like peak flows will be between now and June 5th or so. I also wonder if the campsites be compromised...?


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## pearen (Apr 28, 2007)

CBRFC updated their peak flow forecast yesterday:

50/50 chance of exceeding 30k and 10% chance of exceeding 40k on the Yampa at Deerlodge. Basically there is equal odds of this being a 100 yr flood on the Yampa.

When we put on during the first spike a couple of weeks ago, we had a good conversation with the ranger. He was around for '84 and said that the water was up to that little ranger station that is usually a 1/4 mile back from the put-in. The cottonwoods where you camp before launching are under 8' of water. Bankfull right there is at 11' on the gauge and 30k is around 19'.

He said some places in the canyon where it is narrow will rise by 40'. So yeah, the campsites will be effected. Based on my experience running other rivers way above bankfull, most stuff will wash out and new stuff will pop-up where you never considered it.

All I know, is there will be lots of dead cows and firewood in Lake Powell this year. Be careful out there.


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## jzim (Mar 12, 2009)

I am hoping for a cancellation so those that are lucky enough to get on be sure to leave some lip skin on the Tiger Wall... Anyway, I am curious about the eddy for Warmsprings. Like is it easy to catch, is there room for numerous boats, is it a struggle to bust the fence and get current to bust the laterals? I am curious about 15,000 cfs and up. I think quite a few others are too.


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## swiftwater15 (Feb 23, 2009)

*High water Yampa campsites*

If I recall after 27 years, the campsites we used to use were all still usable at high water. Most of them are pretty high, or located in wide spots.


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## David L (Feb 13, 2004)

My buddy & I were talking about the Yampa high water last weekend. We've been on Yampa at various water levels over the years, from 10,000 to 30,000.

First, at all levels, the right eddy above the rapid is not hard to catch and will have plenty of room for boat parking to go scout.

At flows in the mid-teens like it is going to be soon, the right lateral at the top of Warm Springs is not real hard to bust through to get over to the right of the wave train. Because of the exposed rocks over there on the right side there is not a whole lot of room there so you have to be careful with your ferry angle and the point on the lateral at which you break across. But, it's not real hard to do that.

Two years ago we were there in the mid-teens. My friend was with his son and asked me what run I would do: Down the middle or to the right. I told him that because my wife was with me I'll be going to the right. If your son was with me I would take it down the middle and move over at the bottom to miss the hole. He did that and had a fine, fun run. I had no trouble getting right and then got a nice smile from my wife.

As for Warm Springs at 25-30,000, we remember there being a lot of room to get to the right, the lateral again not being real hard to bust through with proper set up. There will be real fast water down the main tongue and big waves feeding straight into a big hole. But, if you want to get to the right it isn't particularly hard to do because with the higher water level there will be more room on the right to do so and the lateral doesn't grow all that much in size. It's your decision to run the tongue and wave train into the hole or to go over to the right.

Warm Springs, in my opinion, having run it many times at various levels, is not a hard rapid to have a safe run through, and also a hell of a rapid to have an exciting run through, if you want to ride the wave train to the hole at the bottom.

I don't mean to say that Warm Springs is not a rapid to be concerned about. Of course it is. If you miss breaking across the lateral you'll be in a fast wave train heading for a potentially big hole. But, I don't think anybody who is reasonably competent at running a boat needs to lose sleep over it.

We'll be there in a little while. We're looking forward to Yampa not only for the opportunity to run it at high flow, but especially because it's always a beautiful place to be, at whatever water level we have.

Hope that helps a little for you and anyone who might be nervous about high water Yampa.



jzim said:


> I am hoping for a cancellation so those that are lucky enough to get on be sure to leave some lip skin on the Tiger Wall... Anyway, I am curious about the eddy for Warmsprings. Like is it easy to catch, is there room for numerous boats, is it a struggle to bust the fence and get current to bust the laterals? I am curious about 15,000 cfs and up. I think quite a few others are too.


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## BCJ (Mar 3, 2008)

Terrific narrative DaveL, and right on as far as I'm concerned. See you Saturday!


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## festivus (Apr 22, 2006)

I knew a guy who guided the river in those days, and he use to tell a story of a 35 plus foot pontoon doing an end over in warm springs when it approached 35,000.


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## cindy427 (May 10, 2011)

Flipped in Warm Springs


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## mcgow13 (Jun 8, 2010)

I ran it at 17,000 cfs 4 or 5 years ago. Real easy to miss the hole by pulling hard to river right. Kinda wish I had tried to gut it as the swim is low consequence.


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## Snaggletooth (Jun 2, 2008)

Anyone gotten off recently have anything to share?


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## BCJ (Mar 3, 2008)

Just got off yesterday. River rose from 12K last Saturday to roughly 18K by take out yesterday. From the USGS site it was probably 16K+ when we ran Warm Springs on Tuesday. The Yampa at high water is a fast river, especially between TeePee and Big Joe, and again from Moonshine most of the way through Split Mountain. I've run lots of big water all over the west, and Warm Springs is an impressive rapid at these flows. It is runnable by getting right, staying right and punching the lateral/hole on the right toward the bottom, in order to miss "the big one" in the center. Scary but do-dable. Hunker down, get out of the wave train and into the right side eddy as soon as possible near the top (in order to buy some time as you approach the bottom). Without hugging the bank, cruise down in that right-side eddy and be looking downriver to find and line up for that lateral so you can either push or pull hard through it at the correct angle to gain momentum and stay right of the big hole. No guarantees but seems to work most of the time and there is really no other run worth talking about. Beyond that, I'd be careful with the big wave train on the right at Moonshine at these flows. It is certainly runnable but the waves are powerful and uneven and a flip and swim from there would be a long one - - fast water with lots of action continues clear down past School Boy.


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## Bighorn (May 6, 2008)

Nice description of high water Yampa, Buck! I can imagine the dory run of Warm Springs vividly at this level...hear your heart pumping as you line up for that lower right lateral. About as exciting as it gets in a wooden boat! The Canyon Wren and crew will be there in a couple days...heart pumping already!


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

Buck,

Was this in your dory? Or have you converted to rubber?
Was on a Yampa with you and Gary Scovill years ago and you let my daughter row your dory.

Richard


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## BCJ (Mar 3, 2008)

Hi Mike and Richard! Rich - - Kendra was in Ashki way back then. I have a different (bigger) dory now (since 05') and yes, this was in it. Third Yampa in it. Mike, you are so right - - Warm Springs is quite a challenge for a wood boat at these levels! Yikes! BTW, had no trouble finding and pushing through the lateral, tho it may be bigger by the time you get there. But unlike the rubber, the next two surges/laterals coming off the right bank (just past the big boulder) did surf me further left than I expected so I had to pivot quickly and caught the far right edge of the monster hole (but went through it easily.) All happened very fast, but time enough to see/feel what was going on and pivot where needed. (I'd better not say more, it will get too complicated. BIG GRIN) Buena suerte amigo.


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## strife (Oct 2, 2010)

Buck,
The Diablo Canyon will be with our group launching next weekend. I'm sure it's owner would love to talk to you. Can we give you a call?
Tom


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## calendar16 (Mar 8, 2007)

just got around to posting my TR from trip last week here:

http://www.mountainbuzz.com/forums/f12/yampa-trip-report-5-11-5-15-a-36608.html


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## BCJ (Mar 3, 2008)

Strife, I saw Diablo Canyon leave Derald Stewart's back yard on the Animas several years ago when (I think?) he sold it to someone in Durango. Bit of history. Anyway, no problem if someone wants to call (970) 241-6211 or email directly at [email protected].


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