# How low can you go? - Woody Creek Canyon on the Roaring Fork



## 49101 (Jul 14, 2015)

Curious as to whether anyone has experience with low water runs of Woody Creek Canyon on the Roaring Fork. I caught glimpses of it on my way back from Aspen last weekend and it looked viable to me. How low have you run it, and how was it?


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## 49101 (Jul 14, 2015)

I would also appreciate info omn any other CO runs you like late season. I've run my fair share of the Colorado, the Arkansas, and the Blue and would like to hear if anyone has any other fall favorites.


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## Ty Tanner (Mar 27, 2009)

*Woody Cr. ELFing*

Don't have the answer to your question but if it's doable I would join in. What about the lower Frying Pan? Is it still runnable. Gunny Gorge is still good at 600.


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## 49101 (Jul 14, 2015)

I scouted the lower Pan a few weeks ago. It was running a little over 300cfs. I would say it needs 400-450 to really be in. I plan on hitting the Gunny Gorge in the next week or so as a day run.


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

I would take the lower Fryingpan at 300 over Woody Creek at 171. I remember that stretch as being pretty wide and shallow...

Waterton goes at extremely low flows, as does the Cache la Poudre Narrows. I've ran the Taylor sub 100 coming out of the dam and it was ok. A lot of years there is a fall release on the Big Thompson, although I haven't seen or heard anything about it this year...

The other options you already mentioned. Arkansas, Blue and Upper Colorado.


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## Blade&Shaft (May 23, 2009)

Ran Slaughterhouse (upper Fork) last week at 168cfs. Channelized bony fun through the first two rapids; Entrance Exam and Pinball. I walked the falls but the other three in my group ran it. It was a super tight far left run up onto the wall boof to clear the nasty shelf that forms the waterfall with normal water. We continued down through PIA rapid and took out at the bridge to walk back to the cars. Totally worth it, and it looks like today you'd get an extra 3cfs from when we ran!

Otherwise, I wouldn't mess with the RF until the Cemetery section, which more than goes at the current 670cfs. There are actually some fun deeper channels through the Cemetery rapids that allow for eddy/current/roll practice. 

Keep in mind that if you put in higher near Basalt that the play park project is undergoing and the river is full of machinery. 

Wouldn't mess with the Frying Pan with less than 300cfs, keep an eye out for fall releases there. Wood moves around in there a lot so a road-scout on the drive up is a good idea.

$$$


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## Gremlin (Jun 24, 2010)

Really beautiful photo B&S!


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## TonyM (Apr 17, 2006)

Rockwood Box on the Animas is still entertaining at 300 cfs.


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## 49101 (Jul 14, 2015)

Thanks all. I ran Browns a few days ago, still plenty of water. Just got back from Moab, the daily stretch was semi-entertaining. I might just stay local for the next few days and surf in BV and Salida and try running some other sections on the Ark. How low have any of you done the Numbers?


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## AndyFarq (Sep 17, 2014)

I've done PC and #'s at 80cfs. Pine Creek goes, triple drop gets funky, you get less and less water from triple drop til number 5, then it starts to channelize more. Sweet little slot move just below ended rock.


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## Phil U. (Feb 7, 2009)

AndyFarq said:


> I've done PC and #'s at 80cfs. Pine Creek goes, triple drop gets funky, you get less and less water from triple drop til number 5, then it starts to channelize more. Sweet little slot move just below ended rock.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


Umm, I'm a devoted ELFer on the Ark and while I agree Piney and the Numbers are a low end go at 80 I don't think the rio is passable from the AHRA put in above #1 and #1. That long wide cobble stretch bones out badly. I don't run that much below 200. Putting in immediately above #1 is the normal choice at that kind of a micro level. 

The Ark is at beautiful ELFing levels right now. Piney, The Numbers, Fractions and Browns are all fluid if you know the ELF lines.


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## AndyFarq (Sep 17, 2014)

Surprisingly enough it is. We definitely were scraping our way through that section, none of us has to get out of our boats. It actually is still somewhat channelized.


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## Phil U. (Feb 7, 2009)

AndyFarq said:


> Surprisingly enough it is. We definitely were scraping our way through that section, none of us has to get out of our boats. It actually is still somewhat channelized.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


I doubt it. What gauge(s) were you using? Wheel chairing for a half a mile plus is not something I would recommend. I'm a yuge proponent of ELFing but suggesting that section at 80 cfs is good to go is not really good beta. 

I wouldn't even post about this except that there are places that do go at 80 and this stretch is something that locals know to avoid. When did you paddle it at 80?


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## AndyFarq (Sep 17, 2014)

DWR said 60cfs and USGS said 115. But both Garret M. and Tyler S. said it was well below 100cfs.
But we did make it all the way down from PC to Miners with only one swim at triple drop and getting out to check out the slot below ender rock


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## Phil U. (Feb 7, 2009)

AndyFarq said:


> DWR said 60cfs and USGS said 115. But both Garret M. and Tyler S. said it was well below 100cfs.
> But we did make it all the way down from PC to Miners with only one swim at triple drop and getting out to check out the slot below ender rock
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzz


Cool. Gerrit is one of my boyze and has certainly run that section a bunch. Those numbers don't match my experience and I'm not really sure which gauges you are referring to but I am as low water tolerant as anyone and I wouldn't touch that section at 80, though I have once in the past. 

Here are some guidelines from my point of view for anyone thinking about ELFing the Ark. Firstly, the gauge to use is the Below Granite gauge when it is operating. 

USGS Current Conditions for USGS 07087050 ARKANSAS RIVER BELOW GRANITE, CO

It normally operates "April through September" but for some reason is still on line into October this year. When it stops functioning you need to use the "Granite" gauge and add in the "Clear Creek below Clear Creek Reservoir" gauge and technically the "Pine Creek at Mouth" gauge but normally when we're ELFing that is barely running. 4cfs today.

Detail Graph

Detail Graph

Detail Graph

If you look at those gauges right now, Below Granite reads 162. The other three read 119, 20 and 4. In theory they should add up to the 162 but they only total 143. That disparity is meaningless at higher levels but is significant when ELFing. There is almost nothing else entering the rio in that stretch so I tend to attribute it to the inaccuracy of the gauges. Also, I tend to think the higher number is more accurate, in this case the 162 reading.

These are the gauges to use for Pine Creek, The Numbers and the Fractions though Pine Creek enters the rapid Pine Creek in the middle of the rapid.

IMO:

Pine Creek laps go at any level.

The Numbers from the AHRA putin go down to 180ish. 

The Numbers from just above #1 go down to 125ish fluidly. It becomes "Full Contact ELFing" below that and though it rarely drops below 100 it still goes.

#5 starts manking out at the bottom of the entry slot below 200 and the rock is heavily in play below 150ish. I walk the slot sometimes.

#4 and #6 are fast and shallow and it really helps to know the line. They really aren't read and run for the first timer.

The Fractions actually go fluidly at slightly lower levels than the Numbers but you need to know the lines. There are cobble bars that can be avoided but knowing where to finesse them is key. I have run from the RR Bridge putin to Elephant Rock at 59cfs and stayed in my boat but it required wheel chairing twice. The rio rarely gets that low. 100 is still pretty fluid fun in this section.

You can ELF all the way to BV but it doesn't go as well as the sections above once its down to 200ish.

The gauge for Browns is the Nathrop gauge:

USGS Current Conditions for USGS 07091200 ARKANSAS RIVER NEAR NATHROP, CO

This gauge goes through September and is done now. The year round gauge to use is the Salida gauge:

Detail Graph

The Nathrop gauge usually reads higher than the Salida gauge. 270ish vs 230ish last weekend. Browns goes down into the high 100's but is a long day. At 270ish last weekend it was fluid and beautiful! The one spot of note is the bottom of Pinball. There is a slot but people frequently end up backwards in there. I sometimes walk that slot on the left.

There's beautiful boating to be had on the Ark almost year round. One thing to note is that this time of year the wind tends to blow down river and that's worth 15 or 20 degrees on your skin compared to wind in your face.

Any locals that want to chime in, please do.


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