# 2008



## steven (Apr 2, 2004)

i enjoyed: 
numbers and royal gorge at high water
gunny gorge at 7300
juicy clear creek ark
big sur
hi-water glenwood wave
buzzard at good flow
couple of great days on the poudre at around 4 ft.
3rd gorge lime/rockwood
some random new runs for me like the big T and upper rio
big flow alto-alto
and finally- getting luckily spit out of the pine creek hole at about 1600 (3.2 ft.) with no paddle, but still in my boat, and being able to hand paddle and catch up to and grab my paddle just before the sisters


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## ballbuster (Aug 20, 2008)

how is buzzard creek?..thought about doing it but didnt get the chance




steven said:


> i enjoyed:
> numbers and royal gorge at high water
> gunny gorge at 7300
> juicy clear creek ark
> ...


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## jonny water (Oct 28, 2003)

I think my highlight was the Big South with Joe Keck, Count and Scott. Big Sur, Royal Gorge, and Bailey at high water round out the top of the list for me
Bootie beers? Count I think you still owe one from BS! 

I finally did an overnighter with my fam thru SlickRock Canyon.

My carnage included going deep in Rigo and pinning temporarily underwater against a log but holding on and rolling up and skirting around the meat.

I was with Steven for most of those other runs, but you forgot Eleven Mile.

This winter is supposed to be colder than average, like last year so here's to snow in 2009!

As for gas money....cost me probably $150 total and that included a trip to Nashville and back...all on homemade biodiesel! Oh yeah!


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## MtnGuyXC (Jul 20, 2006)

*Buzzard*

Buzzard Creek is an very good fast pace run when the water level is right. Unfortunately ther is no guage. It is a bit rocky & even at higher flows. There are 2-3 mandatory portages....log sieves..the first one you can actually boof but there are branches extending out so you best get it right or just walk it. the next two you can't even mess with. It's definitely worth doing if in the area. This fall/winter a group of us from GJ are talking big talk of getting up there to clear all that crap out & turning it into an excellent run...We shall see. Also it can quickly change in between those portages because there seems to always be new wood interpersed so heads up even if you ran a day before.

Highlights:

Having Escalante flowing for that long of a season locally.
Hucking some stuff over in the CB area
Middle Fork of Salmon in ID & adding in Big Crrek as one of its tribs 
Just as great season overall with the higher water.
And it aint over yet!

MtnGuyXC


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## brandf (May 4, 2004)

highlights:
*Gilman at 1100 with 4 boaters surfing holes in Slurry pipe at the same time
*Gore at 2700 that same evening with Rolf "I'm gonna plug the middle of tunnel" Kelly

low lights:
*swimming Double Trouble
*any creek I paddled with Joe. loser.


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## GoodTimes (Mar 9, 2006)

*In the books*

Yep, this one is going down as my best season ever. Had the opportunity to kick off the season on the MF Salmon at high water where I got to row our crews boats (5) through Dagger Falls to avoid the portage...met some AWESOME peeps. Came home to high water here that was kickin' for a MONTH or better. New paddlin' bro's (56 and Iroc-Z)...that led me down some shit this year. S. Mineral, OBJ, Big South (x2.5), Upper A. 

Rafting highlights - MF Salmon, High water RG, Upper A., High water Numbers.
Kayaking highlights - Big South, OBJ, Daisy, Upper E., S. Mineral, Escalante.
Carnage highlights - Watching 2.5 of our rafts in front of me flip in Velvet on the MF and chasing one for 1.5miles. Upper A. blown cat tube that ended our day (and trip) at No Name. Getting worked in Pine Creek hole at 1,300, little rodeo session in Slideways (BS).

And there's a possibility I'll be ending this season with a trip through the BIG DITCH in November. I don't know how this season can be topped.


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## [email protected] (Apr 26, 2006)

USB, NSV, Vallecito, CB stuff, upper T box, GOAR and the best of them all even with the 3 mile hike out is cheeseman. All of these were of course training for British Columbia that did not disapoint while kicking the shit out of all of us. O yeah and welding everyones boat, watching jace swim, watching Christian try to keep up and going with alex to the acropalus.

But the season is not over yet, lets get out there and make the most of gore and the M-box before its way too cold to paddle.
-Tom


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## phlyingfish (Nov 15, 2006)

*The Great '08*

Wow, what a season. I would go so far as to say 'Best Ever!' Some favorable snow pack coupled with equally favorable work assignments (hell yes I will work in Hood River for a month) equals more class V than I have ever packed into a single year. I guess my second day on the water set the tone: Little White/Green Truss double header for my first runs down each. And the hits just kept on coming:

Enough runs on the Little White to go from unsure newby to confident bomber. Ran the Little White Race in April- what a course. Fired up Spirit for my first (last?) time with passable results. Also got my swim out of the way early thanks to the paddle snatching cave at the top of the mini gorge.
NF Payette as it crept up, up and up some more. Peak was somewhere around 4,600 cfs and I recall looking over and seeing car tires at eye level on my way through Juicer. Thanks to Simo for providing the beta on where the holes appear at high water. My head still hurts from the big one in Disneyland.
Big Water surfing on the Main Salmon at Chair Creek Rapid. Video-worthy waves next to the road with no boaters in sight.
SF Clearwater Golden Canyon near peak (~6,500 cfs), friggin' richter in there. Just ask Gary.
SF Salmon at 8.5', the run that almost wasn't until McKee threw down the gauntlet. Put on for a 50 mile day around 10:30; took off around 7. Clocked the flat water on the Main Salmon at 10 mph on the drive out. Easily the biggest water I have ever seen. Mule Kick lived up to its name.
Then the Bladder Wave came in for a month. Day after day of epic surf with the best crew anywhere made it feel like there wasn't a line even if there were 20 people there. Managed to dial in clean blunts, which I have been working on for years.
PBR weekend featuring the North Fork Payette version of the LVM Giant Slalom and the time trail that was actually a le mans start 20 person boatercross down the Lower 3- action.
Secesh morel hunting expedition. Special thanks goes to Andy Maser who, while in Africa, unwittingly provided our shuttle out of the YP zone.
Upper Cherry Crik- my first run in Cali, and surely not the last. No need to harp on this one, the videos don't lie. This is also where I learned first hand that Colorado has a different definition for unrunnable mank than we do in Idaho.
More North Forkin' until they turn the water down. After work T to B anyone? Props to the Shady-7 crew for squeezing in those last minute bridge to camp runs.


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## Snowhere (Feb 21, 2008)

Great season for sure, but best ever? I guess if you were not paddleing during the last real big year, 95, you could say it was the best. 95 say 7G to 8G on the ark, you should of seen the gorge! Even the Blue below Silverthorne ran from May into June and hit 3G that year. Don't get me wrong, it was a great year, I just was a little disapointed the ark did not go higher, dam water sucking vampires from the front range!:twisted:


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## b dash rian (Mar 30, 2007)

2nd season boating...

Getting surfed in Pine Creek during paddlefest with Count and others
Running Cataract early spring (i.e. still low water  )
Early season run on Upper Blue, where the water wouldn't make it to our hands, as it was freezing to our paddles too quickly
and of course this week running Rigor Mortis upside down... (at low water)


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## erdvm1 (Oct 17, 2003)

Back at ya Count!!

I'll say for me the master plan of moving to Lyons has paid off this year.
Not any new runs and not as many as I'd like but SSV and I had a great relationship this year.
One of the greatest rivers of all time.
More Gore and Poudre
As always, met a ton of new boating friends and spent great time with some old ones.

Paddle hard and paddle well!!
I've got more Gore in me this year........Maybe even this week??!!??


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## yourrealdad (May 25, 2004)

Cali, Cali, Cali. I need to get back there soon. Middle fork of the Kaweah, South Silver at 200%, great shit.
Unfortunately not much new in state, did get to hit up Escalante at super high flows and ended my season of creeking with a Big South Triple Crown. Can't go wrong with that.


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## KSC (Oct 22, 2003)

Always a good thread. It was nice to expand my Colorado-centric paddling world with a trip out to Washington & Oregon. Highlights were Green Truss and Canyon Creek. 

The theme for me this year was high (for me) water runs. I had great fun on Pine Creek & Numbers at almost 3k, the Royal Gorge at 4200, & CC of the Ark at high water. Escalante at high water made a good run even better. Not a lot of new runs in Colorado for me, but did manage to get in Source of the Eagle with some rare high flows and Upper Fryingpan with some good water. I also took my first top to bottom run on the Big South, having only done the lower half last year. I also can't leave out the Big Thompson which had unprecedented flows this year, making for an extra Front Range bonus.

I was happy to keep the swim count for myself down to 1 innocous pull at the beginning of year into a nice big pool. But of course on the river I saw plenty of rolls, swims, and pins to keep things exciting. Met some new people, got to know some old people better, had a few takeout beers, and chips & salsa complements of deepsouth... what's not to like about kayaking. Gas money - I've forgotten all about it.

Still looking forward to Gore season. Been having dreams of an inagurual Black Canyon run but don't know if I'll get that in this year. Definitely a chill Westwater trip is in order. An international trip? Who knows...


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## COUNT (Jul 5, 2005)

Ah, yes, forgot about the other highlights:

Escalante
Watching Brian get worked in Pine Creek
Watching Brian get worked in Blackrock
Watching Brian get worked in Rigor
Eating icecream bought by Brian....

Damn good year.

Johnny, I give me a call. Booty beers don't count if I don't have the appropriate audience.

D


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## xkayaker13 (Sep 30, 2006)

[email protected] said:


> watching Christian try to keep up


????????? 

WTF????

I was too busy this season waiting for you at the bottom of homestake, or waiting for you at the bottom of every rapid you portage, or waiting for you to get back in your boat after your countless swims. Stop talking shit that you can't back up you PUSSY!


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## Bornwithatail (Mar 2, 2008)

*Yer Danrn Tootin'!*

Don't get in as much as the hard shell folks, but it was great to say the least. Nalgas & toes near froze off starting WW in Feb, the early bird Dolores trip was awesome, Salt was about as good as it gets; great flows, high temps, full moon, and great people. After that winter, it was what everyone needed. 5 weeks of river work for UT F&W; paid to do Deso-that place is sweet. Yampa @ near-flood in Craig in flatbottoms was interesting. Barbarosa scared me poopless in duckies @ the secret spot near Pagosa (great day), Animas highflow was bouncy fun w/ a empty cat--surfascary, and wrapped up last month w/ Gates & nearly side flipped my 1st time right over top of Lucifer?, (the only big rock in the river) don't know how I got away with it. All in all, can't begin to describe the fun. Man I love this shit. Next year the eastern side. CU sometime for sure, K.


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## Gary E (Oct 27, 2003)

My highlights were-

4600- North Fork with the boys
Tensleep creek 
Deer Creek in Casper was awesome
Stomping all the big ones on the little white(main stove, main Island, Spirit, with the Boise bad boys
Middle Kings with the boys was the highlight of the year and best run in the world.
Watching Benny stomp a super heavy first D

Lows
Going for a life threatening swim and my worst ever, on my second lap of the SF of the Clearwater at 6g's

Living in Jackson during paddling season(have yet to sack up and go gayboating)

Nice job to the folks who got it done this year.


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## fred norquist (Apr 4, 2007)

2008 was sick for sure!!!
Heres the creeking we did (playboating doesn't really count)
1.Escalante
2.Punchbowls falls eagle creek, OR
3.OBJ
4 Rock Creek 50 ftr
5. Yule Creek
6. North and South Fork Crystal
7. something sik that i cannot disclose at the moment
We would have got more stout in but i was tackled and now have a separated shoulder, missed c-gorge, vallecito, and probably more, also gore.

check the blog for the updates roaring fork kayakers


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## [email protected] (Apr 26, 2006)

how about carrying your ass outta threthaway?
gore in the pirrauttes?


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## will rawstron (May 20, 2004)

Highlights:
U Taos Box 1800
Barrel 13,000
Gore countless times between 2000 and 4000
Gore 4800
Homestake 275
Gilman 1300
Pinos overnighter
Upper S Fork White
Bull Lake Creek

Still to come:
Gore until its too damn cold
Barrel
N Fork Payette
SE trip?

Then skiing!:grin::grin::grin:


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## Randaddy (Jun 8, 2007)

I had the chance to row the Dolores at 2,000 and the Upper Taylor at 600. Both were firsts for me and were a great time!

Also on the Dolores trip I had the chance to meet some really cool people I met on this forum. Takemetotheriver, Boaterbri, Hopefloats, Grif, and others made for a great overnight river crowd. Thanks to the buzz for helping us boaters find beta on new rivers and meet great new friends!

My river season isn't over yet though. Still have some Cataract and Gauley to hit up!!!


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## steven (Apr 2, 2004)

how was upper s. fk. white?


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## DanOrion (Jun 8, 2004)

March Westwater Canyon
Warm up play in cold water
Paddling with good friends

Raging Arkansas
Pine Creek, Numbers, Browns Canyon
But missed the Royal Gorge

After work Clear Creek
Wishing that one quarter mile
Was slightly longer

Foxton the snoozer
With 900 cfs
Is hell of more fun

Endless ocean wave
Stationary glass face
The Glenwood Springs wave.

Virgin Stevens down
Four feet of play on the rock
Now what’s the big deal?

First time Slaugherhouse
Round boulders and a small falls
Splataliciousness!

Primero Bailey
Unforgettable canyon
How bout’ dem sammies!

Elk River at Flood
A joyous Class III wavetrain
Thanks to the Steamboaters

Cheers to the boaters
Floaters that I met this year
See you on the river!


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## paulie (Mar 18, 2007)

lets see, what can i say, it was awesome lots of fun, as there always should be
escalante at a great fun, flow,
gore at 4800 wondering what that was like (amazing),
NSV fun depite the inevitable carnage and many many wood portages,
CB triple crown at a decent flow, no east though,
homestake at 300,
gilman until july 15th,
vallecito (goddamn if you have the ability get in there it is otherworldly)
big south personal 1st d with some carn and some incredible life-giving lines
...
those are what I can think of as far as highlights for the year for me. I am so stoked on who I got to paddle with this year and a little bummed that there are some who I didn't but hey we still have many a gore laps to be had. it was great fun and I am already hoping for lost of rain/snow this fall.
see you all out there
paul


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## TakemetotheRiver (Oct 4, 2007)

I can't decide- everything was equally highlighted-

Dolores at 1000
Dolores at 2000
Salt at 3600 in February- Quartzite scary at that level
Salt at 1700 in March
Westy launch in March with 20 other boats including Dorys and Creature Crafts-crazy
My first dump truck right here at home in Corner Pocket at 4600. (before it blew out)
Longest overnighter so far- 8 days on Deso/Gray
Lower Taos Box at 2000
Rockwood Box in a paddle boat

And I met tons of cool boaters- no one I wouldn't love to boat with again. 

But I don't think my season is anywhere near over...


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## jaansdornea (Apr 29, 2008)

This was my first 'real' season boating and thus easily the best! Started out -- 


running waterton at 1000+ and got an off-side combat roll that shocked and rocked me above the green bridge.
Ran lower cc about 8 times with varying results, most very good, including a rodeo ride in the elbow hole.
4 end of season trips down lower water black rock with my good friend Ture and the front range freedom fighters, surviving rigo 3 out of the 4 times, putting a nice week-long smile on my face.
slaughterhause 3 times (kept going back cause it was sooo good), meeting some Aspen locals who were kind enough to show me the ropes.
end of season, early morning numbers run followed by a day with friends on browns.
carnage --


Went down bailey early season -- swam maybe 5 times, loosing my paddle on the first of the bunch and then breaking my friends 300 dollar breakdown on the last of the bunch. That was a tough introduction to the financial side of boating as all of my gear had cost 350 at that point.
getting stuck in black rock undercut and having a difficult swim that resulted in one boat and one paddle (from Roy the rescuer) going down river without repsective owners. Smiley Joe in his pink jackson saved all the gear and quoted, well, "its class V mate -- what do you expect?" Classic and humbling at the same time.
and the most humbling of all going through zume flume upside down with around 8 roll attempts. About 40 people watched as I got my a** kicked in class III. The best part, I was racing ahead to set up safety for the rest of our group. Got a nice golf ball on the side of my face for a week on that one and lost my cocky butt sunglasses cause I was so bleepin cool.


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## ACC (Oct 30, 2003)

highs:
the Box
adrenaline falls
solo run on OBJ at highwater

low:
running the bottom of Harmon upside down


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## BrianK (Feb 3, 2005)

Highlights- Going to california and seeing what this fabled bedrock stuff is all about.

Teaching a lot of kayak lessons which unlike some I really enjoy doing

Paddling with my brother on bailey at 600

Lowlights- Slipping while getting out of my boat to scout during a high water south silver run, and knocking it into the river. It ran the teacups, skyscraper, and offramp solo before pinning in a cave below off ramp, needless to say the boat didn't make it

Taking a stupid swim on the N. Fork of the american that led to a sketchy hike out and a couple unintentional nights alone in the canyon with only my paddling gear. It was a lowlight while it was happening, but it taught me a lot about being prepared, because I was probably the furthest from prepared when it happened.


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## tango (Feb 1, 2006)

'08 has been rad.

personal firsts on escalante, obj, daisy.
got some high water on castle **** & slaughter puss
great overnighters on the salt, dolores, & upper A 

arkansas drainage was great. ran clear creek ark enough times to break a boat. new personal minimum flow is 400 cfs in there. finally saw the upper lake creek. hucking cauldron was good on the lower. #s and piney are rad without any rocks, and ducking to get under scott's bridge. highlight of the ark season was getting to 2nd D the rarely flowing (rarely seen) spillway to waterfall out of clear creek reservoir.

the carnage...

1. skirt implosion at obj. i rolled up and got the fuck out of the boat before the next rapid.
2. my high water hole ride at tampax that ended in 2 chipped teeth & a swim.
3. the sketchiest moment was watching my boat get sucked off of me and underneath the strainer i couldn't work off of on upper lake creek. luckily my homie Hunter was right there to give me the old Hand of God.


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## yourrealdad (May 25, 2004)

BrianK said:


> Highlights- Going to california and seeing what this fabled bedrock stuff is all about.
> 
> Teaching a lot of kayak lessons which unlike some I really enjoy doing
> 
> Paddling with my brother on bailey at 600


Whoa, I hope that wasn't a jab a me BK to the fullest. I loved teaching lessons every day. You just don't get to paddle the good stuff as you well know. I am also hurt that you didn't mention the rest of your crew on the baily trip. Shedding tears here.

Paulie, that was a good trip on the BIG Sizzy wasn't it?

Forgot about Bailey with BK ran Supermax at 600 which is the highest I have ran it. Smooth as Butter. No Parkay, no Margarine, strictly butter.


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## paulk (Apr 24, 2006)

The highlight of my season was seeing brian's post. It brought a sentimental tear to my eye. Other than that, paddling every day for a month at 4' on the poudre, gore, bailey, lowers, the Oregone Wild spring trip, royal gorge with some juice, and trying to surf a ducky in pineview.

My only regrets were not doing obj, clear creek, spencer heights, or the "There will be Blood" safety talk.


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## caspermike (Mar 9, 2007)

boxelder, deer creek, bunch of narrows laps and big south are my highlights good stuff


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## lhowemt (Apr 5, 2007)

My first trip rowing the grand canyon, and also the Lochsa, has made this year one of those that will always be remembered as incredibly special.


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## roxy (Mar 29, 2007)

Byers Canyon @ 2100 was sweet! Troublesome was a raft eatin' hole...


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## tallboy (Apr 20, 2006)

good times on the western slope for sure!
gunny gorge at 3500, then 7300 yeehaw!
stoner stampede sessions with the telluride crew, and one with ej and dane,
landing my first legit loop at the south main hole, 
my wife-to-be getting her first roll in the river!!!
getting a taste of the m-wave,
breaking my boof cherry on surprise ledge, lake fork,
stepping it up in ouray on the qq,
watching my bros step it up...especially the lord of the dance,
and soon to be a bachelor party on the payette!
giddyup, bring on the snow for another epic year!


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