# Barrel Springs and upper/lower death



## ColoradoKayak15 (Oct 7, 2017)

I haven’t posted in a while but I was board and I have always had a fascination with barrel Springs especially upper death since before I kayaked at all but I was just wondering if anyone knows any cool history or facts about it like first descents, high water runs, or any story’s of you or other people running either barrel or upper death I would love to hear them. Thanks👌


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## Vasevida (May 2, 2017)

No facts - but I have some early 90s VHS footage of guys running it at high water in 1995 or 96 I think. I will see if I can find it and convert it to digital and post. I have a buddy that grew up in Mesa that has been bugging me for the old tapes. From old end of season "carnage" videos put together by some old Arkansas river video boaters - Ron Tomlinson, Tracey Clapp, Kev MacCarthy., etc. Any suggestions for taking it from VHS to digital?


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## ColoradoKayak15 (Oct 7, 2017)

That would be awesome but I have no idea how to convert tapes best shot is probably to play it on a tv and record it with your phone or if you can hook it up to a computer and get screen recording software


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## kayakfreakus (Mar 3, 2006)

Some good video of high water:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFPeSUuBxxw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRm_08YfMKI

Shaneslogic a kayak blog: Big Water on Upper Death and the Barrell Springs Rapid

Thought there was a good write up/video by Fred Norquist but can't seem to find that. Pretty impressive section at high water, love coming out of the tunnel and just seeing mist.


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## ColoradoKayak15 (Oct 7, 2017)

Oh ya I have seen those and Fred’s also Jonathan Satz run wasn’t as high but definitely beefy and in my opinion the lines look a bit better when higher but if you swim it would not be fun.


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

Here is Fred's edit, pre Bomb Flow and when he used to actually frequent this forum......


https://vimeo.com/5186095


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## DoStep (Jun 26, 2012)

The Doris Brothers in the Roaring Fork Valley were running it in the 80's. They ran it in a raft at 22K one time, but knowing those guys I doubt there is any footage of it. They were known as Hank and Roy but those were aliases and they didn't like to be photographed. They worked with both of the Aspen/Snowmass outfitters during my time there, which were Rift Raft and Blazing Paddles at the time.


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## yak1 (Jan 28, 2006)

Well before the put the Interstate in we'd go down to Upper Death and float rocks. They didn't float long but they did float for a foot or two.


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## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

Holly shit, have to love it. Thanks, for posting those videos.


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## teletoes (Apr 16, 2005)

Here's Burt Loper and Ellsworth Kolb portaging in 1916:

From this article: https://www.postindependent.com/news/man-chronicles-characters-in-colorado-rivers-history/


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## ColoradoKayak15 (Oct 7, 2017)

Ya I heard if that but the person said it was 30k which was hard to believe


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## ColoradoKayak15 (Oct 7, 2017)

That’s awesome I always wondered if the first descents of the Colorado wrote about barrel


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## Blade&Shaft (May 23, 2009)

teletoes said:


> Here's Burt Loper and Ellsworth Kolb portaging in 1916:
> 
> From this article: https://www.postindependent.com/news/man-chronicles-characters-in-colorado-rivers-history/
> 
> View attachment 31043


Great post here. Brad Dimock is great and Burt Loper is a legend. Would've been cool to see the talk on it all. Thanks for posting!


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## teletoes (Apr 16, 2005)

Blade&Shaft said:


> Great post here. Brad Dimock is great and Burt Loper is a legend. Would've been cool to see the talk on it all. Thanks for posting!



Then, you might like this picture of the Shoshone Power Plant before it got buried by I-70.











From this article: https://www.aspenjournalism.org/2014/03/26/xcel-shoshone-hydro-plant-not-for-sale/

Long live Shoshone water rights!


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## ColoradoKayak15 (Oct 7, 2017)

For my final I did an essay on the Shoshone rights and thank god they haven’t been sold to the front range or Glenwoods economy would be a lot worse without raft companies


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## FishnPhil (Aug 27, 2007)

Vasevida said:


> No facts - but I have some early 90s VHS footage of guys running it at high water in 1995 or 96 I think. I will see if I can find it and convert it to digital and post. I have a buddy that grew up in Mesa that has been bugging me for the old tapes. From old end of season "carnage" videos put together by some old Arkansas river video boaters - Ron Tomlinson, Tracey Clapp, Kev MacCarthy., etc. Any suggestions for taking it from VHS to digital?


LMGTFY   

But seriously, there are pretty much two options:
1) You can send the VHS to some company who will return you a dvd 
2) You can purchase a VHS/DVD combo and do it yourself.

Those other videos..wow and crazy!


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