# Upper Colorado IDIOT 09



## jwelch (May 24, 2009)

Hi Folks,

This is a multi purpose post, Jack From Confluence Casting suggested I post and inform readers that there is a raft wrapped around one of the road bridge piers at twin bridges on the upper Ccolorado. If you are set up correctly (as I was not) you should be able to avoid the hazard. Some gear has left the boat and some of it is not marked. Of prime interest is my passengers day bag, a small blue dry bag with a digital camera and his wallet. Also as of yet unrecovered are a small purple dry bag (probably on the bottom) and a Coleman 150 cooler that is possibly marked Edge and may or may not have a phone number on it. If you want to taunt me or if you find some of the gear please contact at (970) 261-0537 or [email protected]

Thanx
Boat Safely
Jeff


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## Tiggy (May 17, 2004)

You will definitely get taunted before you get your gear back.
Good Luck finding your stuff.


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## Toni (Sep 18, 2006)

Glad you're ok and good luck recovering your gear. Be sure to post when your boat status changes...

We're adding this stretch to a family trip this weekend, have you run it before successfully or was this a first time? Any tricky part above or were you just asleep at the wheel?


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## sj (Aug 13, 2004)

2 of my 3 flips over the last 30 years have been brain dead stpuidity. Don't let it effect your love of the sport and good luck with the recovery. sj


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## lmaciag (Oct 10, 2003)

We were camping downstream of the incident this weekend and you or someone with you talked to people in our group. We never saw anything float by. Just wanted to let you know. 

Good luck.


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## Snowhere (Feb 21, 2008)

Good luck Jeff. That spot is all private land so a rescue effort may be tough to pull off.

Laurie, were you camping there Monday? I passed through in my Hyside with my 6yr old and we had a duckie with us. We saw a group camping below the twin bridges. We were heading to Catamount for our take out. All in all a good level for the little ones.

Glenn


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## lmaciag (Oct 10, 2003)

We had a big group in the most downstream site at Lyons Gulch. Not very familiar with that area though as were were using it as a base for kayaking the Roaring Fork. From looking at a map, I think we were fairly downstream from there. You couldn't miss us from the road driving out though...

Regardless, hope you had a great weekend! We did despite the rain!


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## Snowhere (Feb 21, 2008)

We had a great time! It only rained on us on the river maybe 10 minutes on Sunday and Monday. I had a giant rainbow umbrella on the raft that I had for shade but it did a great job at keeping both me at the oars dry and more important Keegan warm and dry on the cooler. The 10 minutes of rain on Sunday was a total downpour. 

Being an vet of multiple summers in Alaska, I had tarped off a large area at our camps for our tent and gear. I like packing up dry gear in the mornings if I can help it!


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## raft3plus (Apr 24, 2004)

*IDIOT 2009*

When we unrolled and setup our boats at *Shoshone* putin on *Sunday* morning, some passerbys on bikes from below told us about an amazing yardsale they had witnessed on *Saturday*, including "a whole backpack!!", cooler, etc.. Thought nothing of it, other than of my girlfriend was on an Upper C/little Gore trip for six days and nights. Wondered how that whole show had gone down and not talked to her to hear how it went.

Wouldn't you know it, up on the flat concrete part of the putin landing lapps a little blue pelican case with a camera having pictures of an upperC/littleGore trip. *Silent Jay* and I were laughing at first and then thinking what a bummer to lose your gear. When looking at the pictures zoomed in my girlfriend was on there riding on a boat as she usually does. The waterwheel.. and all that.

Come home to find out jeff-boy had a yardsale while trying to setup with what my girlfriend deemed a "FANCY" move; She is an experienced rider (who gives me advice too, you know!) sitting in the boat directly behind them. She is able to read water, differentiate moves that work and ones that don't after years of punishment with me and others on the river.

Now, I don't have a problem with you *yardsaling your shit*. Endangering other people's lives with IDIOT moves like that are not worth it. *Everyone* else chose to ride down the middle of the two bridges through a NICE OPEN SLOT; Why would anyone do this?

Mister "*FANCY pants*" needed to get impressive in an area of danger, it was told by multiple sources. No one else chose your route. Your friend and passenger hurt his hand badly. None of you were wearing thermal protection. Thankfully only a bumpy swim. Is it ok to call you a *dumbass* now?

When asked what you were doing to remedy the situation, your response was to head to town for coffee and an egg mcmuffin. Way to step down after stepping it up a couple notches. What an impression you left with everyone on your trip.

Oh, *gear*, yeeeah.... about that. I'm keeping the light blue pelican *case*. WTF. If your busted off camera box made it to Shoshone in 48 hours, you have a slim chance of getting it back. I gave the camera to Peggy; she is trying to get it back to you.

That's enough of a beating and I'm done roasting you now. Glad my girlfriend was not on your boat. Sorry, but you had this browbeating coming. Better luck boating next time.


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## Canada (Oct 24, 2006)

Kinda harsh on a guy who just lost his boat! Man do we eat our own.


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## master of disaster (Apr 6, 2009)

went through there on sunday, 2 people were still trying to get the stuff off of the bridge column.


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## G-man (May 24, 2005)

wow, that is harsh. good to know what is expected of lost river gear.


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## ritatheraft (May 22, 2007)

raft3plus, must be nice to never make mistakes, huh? Sweet deal for you, keeping other people's gear- good luck with that river karma.

I have been part of a *$%& show mistake before on the Upper C and I can guarantee you it won't happen again. Lessons were learned. 

It's not like the dude was busy eating turkey legs and drinking schlitzeses while not rescuing a kayaker at the time of the wrap... did the swimmers blow their whistles indicating they were ready for a group rescue? 

and the morale of the story is: everyone is responsible for their own actions... even the passanger with the beat up hands. There are no guarantees in life. I hear your concerns but you kind of come off as an egotistical jerkface.


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## tballgame (Jun 15, 2008)

that is a jerk move, your a bad egg bro and need your ego checked.


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## raft3plus (Apr 24, 2004)

Meant to say: ... then you have a slim chance of getting your gear (it), because it is so far downriver already.

You were scolded by other boaters at raftcamp *the night before* for having pulled the same maneouver, where no second bridge was and thus no consequence.

Your camera is en route to you via Peggy; bless her. The case has been labelled Karma, imbued with a newer and much more improved peace of kindness, meant for the safety bounty of future finders. It has been labeled with your name, phone number and email, and will be returned to the exact location where it was found. Karma will be under way at noon tomorrow, when we put in up there again to ride the fun show. 16ft sb, right into the hole is the goal.. who's all going?

The reason I have an 18fter now is because my good buddy (and 12 year CO guide) wrapped her around tombstone on shoshone at high water, frame busted through the tubes, severing one tube all around and blowing baffles -> boat shredded. It can happen to anyone. Let me know when you get your boat off the pillar so I can help you repair it and put it back on the water. Extra urethane will go miles here. Restoration cost soup-to-nuts for the 'free' river hog was ~250.

Having made many mistakes, I too, appreciate new ones and ones that need repeating. 

See you all on the river and may karma keep us all in check.


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## Toni (Sep 18, 2006)

EVERYONE makes mistakes. If you don't, you aren't learning anything. Maybe a little more compassion and a little less criticism could make the world go happily around...


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## Jack Bombardier (May 26, 2005)

raft3plus, you redeemed yourself with your last post. I read your first one and thought, What a dick. Return the camera but not the pelican case? what is THAT about? Anyway your last post makes me want to run Shoshone tomorrow with freshly-filled Zippo lighter while keeping an eye out for a pelican box....
Anyway the Twin Bridges can be a tricky run, the bridge pylons don't line up and the river curves to the right to make it even more interesting. I live a mile downstream from it and have run it perhaps 200 times and STILL I try not to be too complacent or take it for granted. At low water you have to take the right line, and at medium to high the center is pretty easy. But I've puntured a pontoon on one of my catarafts on that right pillar, and bounced off the left once trying that for a challenge. Its one of those runs in which the margin between a boring shot down the middle and carnage is very slim.


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