# Clear Creek Peak!



## DanOrion (Jun 8, 2004)

Been up to the high country recently? Snow is finally stacking up! Dare I say we might be in for an average CC peak?
ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/CO/Snow/snow/watershed/daily/basinplotsp13.gif

Damn dusty up there to. She's gonna flash right off. I'm calling 900 cfs on June 1st.


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Good to hear from you, Dan! I'll definitely be satisfied with average this year and hope I can get on the water with you when you're not changing diapers!


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## livin_tll (Apr 2, 2011)

Anyone know if they are doing a "Creek at the Peak" again this year. Last year was really fun. But also very low.


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## Roy (Oct 30, 2003)

I can't remember when I last felt so thrilled to nearly achieve mediocrity late in the game.


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## deepsouthpaddler (Apr 14, 2004)

I built a correlation between snowpack and peak flow for clear creek many moons ago. According to the Foley Clear Creek O' Matic Peak Flow Calculator, peak flow will be 769.3 cfs. 

Loving the fact that clear creek will run this year.


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

I hit the GOALS facebook page with this link. Hopefully they'll put up a post on the race soon! I'm calling 812 on May 27.


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

Bad News... sounds like the Creek at the Peak race won't go down this year.


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## caspermike (Mar 9, 2007)

Bummer you guys should just do a race anyways poudre style. Help each other with safety it will be good practice for all


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

There already is a Black Rock race that's in the same vein of the Gnarrwos race though a slightly different format. Though, maybe someone will put on this sprint as an unofficial race as we surely do like to race!


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## gannon_w (Jun 27, 2006)

I don't remember the creek at the peak race...that isn't the one held on screaming 1/4 is it?


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

Creek at the Peak was the GOALS fund raiser. It was a downriver sprint which was also host to the U.S. Nationals Raft Race.


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## mjpowhound (May 5, 2006)

Gannon, I think it was the Dumont stretch.


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## stubby (Oct 13, 2003)

780 June 10th


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## tango (Feb 1, 2006)

666 cfs on 6/6/13


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## KSC (Oct 22, 2003)

701 cfs

Do we have to pick a date? Two criteria make it confusing to figure out who won.

Didn't Ian buy a 12 pack for the winner a while back? Dan, are you throwing in some prize for the winner? Are we playing closest or Price is Right rules? Are we all gonna go surf my hole at peak?


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## tmcdevit (Jun 8, 2008)

Gannon, you gonna be in CO early June? I'm arriving the night of the 7th and would like to be on Black rock shortly thereafter....


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## stubby (Oct 13, 2003)

I say one 6 pack for flow, one for date. Who's ponying up the beer?


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## craven_morhead (Feb 20, 2007)

Maybe the beer gets donated by the guesses furthest away?


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## buckmanriver (Apr 2, 2008)

*Black Rock Race*

Two years ago we did and post work black rock race. 

Teams of two. Lots of safety and fun. 

Lets do that this year. 6 pack of beer prize pool.


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## straightfromAVL (Jul 18, 2007)

KSC said:


> 701 cfs
> 
> Do we have to pick a date? Two criteria make it confusing to figure out who won.
> 
> Didn't Ian buy a 12 pack for the winner a while back? Dan, are you throwing in some prize for the winner? Are we playing closest or Price is Right rules? Are we all gonna go surf my hole at peak?


I'd suggest price is right rules, in which case my guess is 702cfs. Worst guess, higher or lower, buys beer.


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## BrianK (Feb 3, 2005)

It's very easy to sit here and make predictions with nothing on the line. I say that in order to guess you have to put up one bottle of quality brew (preferably an IPA) for the flow and one for the date. 

My guess is 813 cfs on 6/15. You can leave my winnings in the pull off by Rigo. I'll pick them up while I portage.


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

I accede to the wager: price is right scoring, furthest out buys a sixer. I'm also down for helping on the BR Race.

Kevin, I'll even judge the Cripps hole rodeo!


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## DanOrion (Jun 8, 2004)

Oh rules. Sure. To wager a flow rate, you're in for a beer or a bottle of 12 yr old scotch, preferably well peated. 

In so far as rate and date. Winner is primarily based on rate. Adding a date will greatly improve your chance of being declared winner by mob rule. If steve were to guess 700 on June 3 and the peak was 701 on June 3rd, then Kevin would swim out of Cripps hole on the 3rd and give Steve a beer or a bottle of 15 year old scotch.


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## KSC (Oct 22, 2003)

I've been gutting said hole in Screaming 1/4 mile all year, seeing how high the flow had to get to start dishing out the goods. Well, it's finally in. I caught a huge ender going through it this evening and it dumped me all the way over the back. I rolled up side surfing. In recent years, I've learned to handle this situation better by asking myself, "WWFD: What Would Forrest Do?" 

Here are some lessons I've learned from Forrest:

Lesson 1) Hole riding is sick! While some might consider it a curse to get stuck in a sticky hole, the reality is, it's a privilege. Once you realize this, you can stop being so fearful, relax and enjoy the ride.

Lesson 2) Why would you swim out of a hole when you can surf out of it? It's way sicker to stay in your boat than swimming out of a hole, and sicker is always better. 

Lesson 3) Plan an exit strategy. It so happens I asked Forrest specific advice on this hole. He told me the hole is too deep to flush you out upside down. Instead, you need to claw out the river right side of it with a few power strokes. Unfortunately, I was pointed river left and we hadn't covered this particular orientation, so this lesson wasn't too helpful at the moment. (Lesson 3b - ask questions about all possible options)

Lesson 4) Pulling your skirt is not an option. After trying a couple window shades and finding myself back in the same side surf, I began to ask myself what options I had left. I couldn't get my boat to move one iota in any direction. But I remembered that Forrest will stay in his boat for at least as much time as it takes to have someone drive home, grab a rope, and drive back to the river. So I had a lot of time to contemplate my next move.

Lesson 5) When in doubt, hang out. Every time I've seen Forrest run Rigo, he spends more time underwater than above and yet he always seems to flush out the bottom. I decided it was time for some more underwater time. I held my breath, flipped, and spent time hanging out underwater. Eventually, I rolled up and found myself on a side surf facing back river right this time. I remembered Lesson 3, and clawed my way out the corner to freedom!

Lesson 6) There's no need to drive all the way to Gore to get worked when there's good hole riding to be had close to home.

Happy surfing!


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## stubby (Oct 13, 2003)

I need to go do a tutelage under sensei Forest. Maybe he can show me the lines on Rigo. 

Side note: wonder if it was peaking last night with rain flows? 800+. Not sure if anyone even mentioned it getting that high. With some heat after the rain we might see some juicy flows this week I bet.


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## DanOrion (Jun 8, 2004)

Sounds like you owned your hole last night. Wish I could have been there to watch.

For those not familiar: What was once the "goal post boof" a.k.a. "rainbow boof no. 2," was destroyed in fit of nature's fury in 2011. What rose from the ashes is a medusa named Cripps Hole and when she gets wet, she has no mercy.


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## Cutch (Nov 4, 2003)

Hell yes KSC! That's exactly what Forrest would do. 

I can attest that Cripps hole was stompy last night, and the typical center-right, down the middle will stop you in your tracks. I got momentarily stuffed, one paddler back endered (poor fella followed my line), and Tina talked some shit about just going left and easily boofing over the thing (definitely not what Forrest would do). Nice spike last night up there.


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## deepsouthpaddler (Apr 14, 2004)

Kevin, now that you are a hole riding badass, Forrest Jr. style, you should just drop into Cripps hole sideways with a brown claw every time you run lower. Thats way sicker than just boofing it.

I'm pretty amazed at clear creeks flows. I thought the cool weather would stop the melt, but its got a head of steam and it keeps on coming up. Awesome. My peak prediction has already been exceeded. I think its going to peak next week as this weekends hot weather melts off the rest of the lower elevation snowpack.


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## Don (Oct 16, 2003)

*Lessons*

Lesson 7: Believe it or not another thing that will help you to reach the green water under the pillow is to throw ends. Try to use the hole's shoulders to engage a semi-spin and once an end breaks free drip it into the upstream current and hold on, because you're going to change position in the hole.

I've used this quite a bit in the past. Some times you get stuck side surfing in a direction that doesn't go anywhere. So, try and change the direction you're facing. Bob's your uncle.


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## glcasson21 (Apr 16, 2009)

Thanks Kevin...I was kinda in a bad mood this morning but that helped a lot!!


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Nice work Kevin. I think I'll stick to the non forest/ Tina line!

As much as I would have enjoyed hitting BR at food flows, it was pretty sweet watching Riley claw his way out of his own side surf just above sixth at. 
Maybe tonight.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Sounds like this hole dished out a significant beating again yesterday. The beatee, who may remain nameless, took a multi minute hole ride before pulling. Two followers boofed right over him. 

Said individual is blaming the swim on me for giving him the beta for Tina's left sneak. 

Unnamed guy drives a really big van !


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## ACC (Oct 30, 2003)

Would said unnamed boater also be a sandbagging guidebook author?


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## KSC (Oct 22, 2003)

Sounds like said individual made the mistake of using a Jackson (maybe a larger size would punch holes better?). Everybody knows how much those Jacksons love to freestyle. 

So is there video evidence of this multi-minute ride, or was it more like multi-seconds that felt like minutes? I suggest a trip to Forrest boot camp.


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## WW Lush (Dec 26, 2003)

It must help to be behind someone getting worked in that hole... I never called it a sneak just for the record. I'm not sure what I did, but I must have taken a super sick boof stroke from the sounds of it. That would be a rough swim...watch out for sandbagger beta...esp 3rd hand... I think I'll scout next time. Or is that breaking Forrest's rules?! I like his lessons!! 
Tina


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Karma is a bitch. So two days after reading about this then being accused of causing my buddy's swim with bad beta, I went to run it myself. We talked about scouting on the road, but forgot. It was again discussed in the eddy above, but I said "naw, just giver her".

I punched as hard as I could right down the middle and didn't even make it halfway up the other side.

I tried all the KSC/Forrest tricks I could muster, which weren't all that many, and even after rolls and enders and reaching super deep, was never able to change boat angle. Not that pointing left would have gotten me anywhere either. My last attempt was to try to pull my skirt in the hole to flush. The minute I let one hand off the paddle to do so, the river relieved me of it entirely. Fortunately, this hole was not giving swim laps from where I started. One trip deep to the bottom and out. The hole right below there is not worth swimming either, though it didn't hold me.

We decided to scout it after shuttle. Tim joined me there after a few minutes, with a huge grin. He said grab a seat, there's an R3 coming through. This was white DRE, maybe 13-14'. Why I grabbed just a rope and not the camera phone is beyond me. They must not have scouted either, because they chose my line right down the middle. front paddlers ejected on impact, but the captain did a nice job of moving around and getting to the top of the pile for a nice long bouncy side surf. I sauntered closer to the bank and help up the rope for viewing. Lots of enthusiastic head nodding followed. I descended lower and found good footing. My toss was a foot wide, but he caught it with his paddle and held on. I was quite surprised by how hard I had to pull to get that raft over the corner and into the eddy. No injuries, maybe a lost paddle.

Anyone find my elbow pad in the park?


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

I think Dan needs to make a Cripps Hole Surf Sticker for those who successfully surf then exit "in situ" rather than sans boat.


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## DanOrion (Jun 8, 2004)

That's an excellent idea.


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## Ricky NM (Jun 28, 2008)

Anyone have pics of said Cripps Hole? Curious what this thing looks like now...


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

Ricky NM said:


> Anyone have pics of said Cripps Hole? Curious what this thing looks like now...


Kind of like this.. only more wet.


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

*At 400ish CFS*


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## DanOrion (Jun 8, 2004)

Taken in 2011:


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## hojo (Jun 26, 2008)

You have a gift my friend! Don't hide it under a bushel basket.


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## deepsouthpaddler (Apr 14, 2004)

Thar she blows!

06/12/2013 02:15 MDT6.59P 1,330P06/12/2013 02:15 MDT6.59P 1,330P
1330 cfs @ 2:15AM on June 12. 

The peak by far exceeded my expectations. Now its time to enjoy the slide back down.


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