# Upper C?



## Waterwindpowderrock (Oct 11, 2003)

Been pretty chill lately. More & more commercial trips now, but it's no brown's by any stretch though. There was a lady who swam in a wedding dress last week... but even she ended up fine!


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## Gremlin (Jun 24, 2010)

Eye of the Needle was flipping rafts last weekend with long swims, so I've been told.


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

Waterwindpowderrock said:


> Been pretty chill lately. More & more commercial trips now, but it's no brown's by any stretch though. There was a lady who swam in a wedding dress last week... but even she ended up fine!


 
There has got to be more to this story.....???


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## OldandBitter (Jun 11, 2011)

Pretty easy, ran it 2x last week @ 8600. We ran Yarmony to the right, there could be issues on the left. I think the high water has kept novice boaters away.


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## summitraftgirl (Jul 23, 2008)

Ran it last week after work. Eye of the Needle has a big hole, but it's easy to miss on the right, or go for it if you're in a big boat and want some fun action. Nice wave trains after Eye of the Needle all the to the hot spring (which is under water, of course). Ran Yarmony to the left and didn't have problems. My husband did it again this past Monday and ran it to the left again, however he rows a 16' cat and likes some action. It's easy to miss the hole and then just be prepared to pull away from the wall at the bottom. We've never run right, but have heard that it's a very easy line the entire way through the rapid.


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## CO.rafter (Oct 10, 2010)

The wedding dress girl was a friend, the group was out on an overnighter/bacholerette party. Just confirmed it with her!


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## Gremlin (Jun 24, 2010)

Eye of the Needle has a big hole, but it's easy to miss on the right

I haven't been in there this year, but don't you mean the hole is on the right and it is easy to miss running left?


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## Waterwindpowderrock (Oct 11, 2003)

CO.rafter said:


> The wedding dress girl was a friend, the group was out on an overnighter/bacholerette party. Just confirmed it with her!


Let her know we got a really cool shot of her, looking right at the camera, holding the bouquet

Here's a small version of it.











they flipped at yarmony, and she lost her car keys... sounds like that was an adventure!


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## openboat (Jul 13, 2004)

Looking at the flow this morning (Sat, 25 July), with the increasing temps, we may get above 10k yet this season (maybe by Sunday).


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## 506ktj (Jun 27, 2011)

Ran it two days ago at 9200. A lot of talk but not a bad ride. People are staying off due to the flows, only saw three other boats on a warm Saturday. Stay out of the hole in Yarmony and you should not have a problem. River Left is the safest run at the top of Yarmony. River right keeps you out of everything but one mistake at the top and you are in the hole. I heard today (the 27th) that the BLM is now only allowing two or more boats down, no solo trips. I don't know if this is true or not. Eye of the Needle was easy, does not even have big waves. Stay right at the top of the run.


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## Bryan (Feb 3, 2005)

Ran it at 9730 yesterday. All straight forward. Right at eye of the needle and ran Yarmony on right no problems. Harmony is one big ass hole at this level and can still be run right or left. Right is less obvious but if you push foresees right bank at the top you will end up in a nice long wave train that pushes you through safely. Fun fun!


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## mattsonjazz (Jul 5, 2007)

ttr230 said:


> Has anyone run the Upper C recently? How is it looking? Is it slammed with people? I know several weekends ago there was carnage there with dogs drowning...haven't heard anything since then. Just looking for recent info.


Ran Pumphouse to Rancho yesterday in our 14'. Flow was at 9500. the water is very pushy at this flow. If you have run the river in the past, the top from PH to Radium is pretty standard, just stay right at the Needle, as two very big holes have formed river left.

We scouted Yarmony before running and it is really, really, burly right now. The first hole is nearly river wide. We ran far left and then came back hard to center and made it through fine. This rapid is NOT a passive Class II as it usually is, but rather a Class IV to be taken very seriously at this flow. Right now the hole is bigger than anything I saw on my last Westwater Trip. If you make the move, you're good, but if you miss and get sucked into the hole, a flip should be expected, and very, very bad things could happen especially considering the swim near the magnetic rock wall directly after...Anyway it is well worth the stop & scout as the photos from 7500 cfs really don't do it justice.

Good luck, and be safe out there!

-S


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## captishmael (Feb 8, 2008)

Ran it yesterday, 9700 cfs. Fun!!! Eye of the Needle is straight forward, I went right and would not recommend left. There is a big hole on river left, below the rapid itself, up against the wall, with a lateral feeding into it that could be nasty. Right was no problem with fun waves and deep regular holes all over the place. Also went right at Yarmony, also a lot of fun. I was surprised to find three pushy laterals at the top of the rapid that try to push you into the hole. Also surprised at how little room there was between the hole and the right bank. That hole is HUGE! I believe it could swallow a Buick. See this video-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXtOZ4yyjww 
Yesterday was the most fun I've had in 17 Years of rafting here, by far.


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## pinemnky13 (Jun 4, 2007)

Nice Vid! That Yarmony hole looks freaking huge!


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## Fuzzy (May 25, 2005)

K-1 it yesterday. crazy amount of water. very fast through the 1st canyon. Yarmony was big and fun to watch. Loved all the camp sites with the picnic tables half underwater. A swim in the canyons would be very long!


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## bigkahunaburger (Apr 26, 2011)

mattsonjazz said:


> This rapid is NOT a passive Class II as it usually is, but rather a Class IV to be taken very seriously at this flow. -S


A class 4, really?!? what the fuck are you smoking son. Did it at 9k a week or so ago. Still a class 2 (/2+), just with class 3+ consequences. Even at 9k i was temped to run the meat in a 14 footer.
Man, my pops and his old school Cataract friends would slap you if they heard you call yarmony a class 4. You wanna see a 4? lug your boat upstream a mile next time your at pumphouse. course you'd probly call the k-bombs a class 13


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## WillYates (Aug 3, 2007)

Hit the holes and you got yourself a class iv!


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## bigkahunaburger (Apr 26, 2011)

WillYates said:


> Hit the holes and you got yourself a class iv!


now that's the spirit!! 
i was thinkin about goin meat whilest on the scout above yarmony. 'cept i had my 15 year old cousin with me and he was kinda freaked out already. i was pretty surprised how fast it was moving. PH-rancho in 2:45 including a fairly long doobie break., even with some pretty fierce at the end. 
i admit a swim in there would kinda suck, but i think that hole's good to go if you got the stones and the right crew.


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## bigkahunaburger (Apr 26, 2011)

haha... fierce wind at the end, that is


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## Bryan (Feb 3, 2005)

Big kahunaburger, I would love to be there when you run the meat at 9700.
Until you have run the meat I'd keep me criticizems of others assessment to a minimum. I'd call Yarmony a 3+ at 9700 w/ 4 consequences. You could of had your 16 yo cousin portage while you showed him how it's done.


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## bigkahunaburger (Apr 26, 2011)

no i feel ya man, but class 4, come on. and i'm sure 9700s different than 9k, and that was the only time ive seen it above 6k. not tryin to harp on noone too much. just feel that's a pretty generous estimate. 
at any rate that holes huge, and i'd sure hate to swim it, or to see anyone else swim it for that matter. 
if anyone, my self included, does hit that thing at these flows i'd sure love to see some video!!


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## BoilermakerU (Mar 13, 2009)

bigkahunaburger said:


> ...Even at 9k i was temped to run the meat in a 14 footer...


But, you didn't... 

People avoid the hole at Skull on Westwater too. Doesn't make it a class II, does it?

Meat the hole, then rate it. Otherwise, your opinion is no better than everyone else that ran it right or left...


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## bigkahunaburger (Apr 26, 2011)

yeah but i'm sure everyone can agree that the consequences of a flip runnin the meat at skull are way worse that at yarmony. that's why i'd probly never try it!! it's kinda pushy into that wall at yarmony, but not nearly as much as the room of doom on WW. and there's walls all over there too. plus a boat/swimmer chase through SITM sucks. a chase in the flat water after yarmony wouldn't be nearly as bad. just long and cold for a swim.
you're right tho. i didn't do it, so my opinion matters not!! 
but i'll bet in a 14eer it'd be a hell of a wild ride


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## Bryan (Feb 3, 2005)

I hit the meat of skull at just 3000cfs in a 16 foot raft and that hole consumed the raft and four adults. A friend photographed our run through the meat and all you can see is my hand sticking out of the water, and not connected to the oar. The river gods released us all upright and in the boat. To this day I cannot figure out how we didn't flip.


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## Waterwindpowderrock (Oct 11, 2003)

BoilermakerU said:


> Meat the hole, then rate it. Otherwise, your opinion is no better than everyone else that ran it right or left...


The fact that there IS a hole, and the fact that it's big doesn't automatically up the rating, the question would be, how hard is avoiding it? Now if you HAVE TO run the meat... then you can base the rating on that.

Nobody wants to sandbag here, but over-rating something doesn't help either.


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## bigkahunaburger (Apr 26, 2011)

Bryan said:


> I hit the meat of skull at just 3000cfs in a 16 foot raft and that hole consumed the raft and four adults. A friend photographed our run through the meat and all you can see is my hand sticking out of the water, and not connected to the oar. .


come on you can't tease us, let's see that pic. sounds like a good one!!



Waterwindpowderrock said:


> The fact that there IS a hole, and the fact that it's big doesn't automatically up the rating, the question would be, how hard is avoiding it? Now if you HAVE TO run the meat... then you can base the rating on that. Nobody wants to sandbag here, but over-rating something doesn't help either.


well put sir.


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## Bryan (Feb 3, 2005)

I'll look around and see if I can find the picture.


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## bigkahunaburger (Apr 26, 2011)

right on man. i got a good one for ya'll in the meantime. not of me (i was guiding the next boat behind this), but still pretty freakin funny


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## ZLSeth (Aug 17, 2004)

I have kayaked the Upper C more times than I can count (usually only to Radium), so I know the river well at normal flows. 

I can count my kayak days from the last two years on one hand. I just got my first raft and it really would like to get wet. As a novice rafter and a very rusty kayaker, I have to sit out and miss one of the best runoff seasons in a long time.

Anyway, I really wanted to join this thread so that when that Skull pic is posted, I will get a notification.


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## pinemnky13 (Jun 4, 2007)

Bryan said:


> I hit the meat of skull at just 3000cfs in a 16 foot raft and that hole consumed the raft and four adults. A friend photographed our run through the meat and all you can see is my hand sticking out of the water, and not connected to the oar. The river gods released us all upright and in the boat. To this day I cannot figure out how we didn't flip.


I've got one of those also except I was running a 16' cat @3500 and the picture was taken right as we hit it, I look like I'm standing up but it was right at me getting flung foward into the lap of my girlfreind, I can honestly say I was going for it and I dont think I will again(maybe) ley me find that photo and I'll post it if you all promise that you won't laugh at the expressions on our faces


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## pinemnky13 (Jun 4, 2007)

Here you go!


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## bigben (Oct 3, 2010)

ZLSeth said:


> As a novice rafter and a very rusty kayaker, I have to sit out and miss one of the best runoff seasons in a long time..


shit man, you gotta get on it. pumphouse really isn't as rough as everyone's making it out to be. if you've been in there even a few times, you should be good to go. the right shore line thru yarmony is cake, and there's an easy scout along the tracks. plus there's so many boaters up there it's easy just to follow someone else's lines


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## pinemnky13 (Jun 4, 2007)

pinemnky13 said:


> Here you go!


Oh I forgot to mention that that was our first date!


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## bigkahunaburger (Apr 26, 2011)

pinemnky13 said:


> Here you go!


shit yeah man that's an awesome shot. yeah i don't think i'd ever try the meat line in my 14er in skull. just seems like the potential consequences aren't worth it. well, maybe with a bigger boat and the right crew...


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## Gremlin (Jun 24, 2010)

pinemnky13 said:


> I'll post it if you all promise that you won't laugh at the expressions on our faces


Why would we laugh? snrt...snorttttt.....snrBAWHa.....BAWHAHahahAhHAHAHAHAAAAAA!


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## pinemnky13 (Jun 4, 2007)

Gremlin said:


> Why would we laugh? snrt...snorttttt.....snrBAWHa.....BAWHAHahahAhHAHAHAHAAAAAA!


Grem; 
I knew you like that one, know you have learned(again) why everybodys wife tell's their husband "Are you out of your mind? Don't follow Christian!"


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## BoilermakerU (Mar 13, 2009)

Waterwindpowderrock said:


> The fact that there IS a hole, and the fact that it's big doesn't automatically up the rating, the question would be, how hard is avoiding it? Now if you HAVE TO run the meat... then you can base the rating on that.
> 
> Nobody wants to sandbag here, but over-rating something doesn't help either.


Nor should anyone under-estimate it at high water, that doesn't help either. Class II at high water? Probably not. Class IV at high water? Maybe not. Somewhere in between? Probably.
Just because someone ran the meat of skull in a 14 fotter doesn't make Skull a Class II either (lucky bastard! LOL). This is no different. Not saying it's a IV myself (haven't run it myself at this level), just sayin' assertions that it's so easy and is still a class II at these levels is not better of an opinion that the other I guess...

Damn. Now I want to run it...


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## wreckoftheairefitzgerald (Jul 11, 2008)

Great video! Looks like if you swam it would be pretty tough to get out of the river with the banks all submerged. A long and cold swim.


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## slavetotheflyrod (Sep 2, 2009)

I ran it yesterday with the wifey at about 9800. Pumphouse to Rancho in 2 hours flat - a new personal record for this stretch. 

Eye of the Needle was a pretty easy run right of the hole, ran Yarmony left and made the move back to center with no problems. Yarmony was a pretty awesome sight at this flow and looked like it could flip an aircraft carrier. The upper C is a whole different animal at this flow. 

Very few boats on the water and lots of waves breaking over the bow made for a screaming good time. I honestly can't remember the last time I had this much fun in that stretch.


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## Bryan (Feb 3, 2005)

Rancho @ 9800.


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## Bryan (Feb 3, 2005)




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## bigkahunaburger (Apr 26, 2011)

ha!! that's awesome. a 9k the water was only just at the base of the rocks next to the "bank". now they only have half a parking lot!!
....dammit now i wanna go run it too!!


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## LongmontRafter (Jun 12, 2008)

*Rodeo Rapid Beta?*

Planning a run from Catamount to Dotsero over the 7/15 weekend. I will have my raft and will have a couple of relatively inexperienced paddlers in IKs.

I am wondering how Rodeo rapid is in the 6-7k range (guessing it'll be around those flows by next week). Anyone run it at these flows? Is the portage still good to go?

thanks for any info!


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## stribtw (Mar 19, 2009)

LongmontRafter said:


> Planning a run from Catamount to Dotsero over the 7/15 weekend. I will have my raft and will have a couple of relatively inexperienced paddlers in IKs.
> 
> I am wondering how Rodeo rapid is in the 6-7k range (guessing it'll be around those flows by next week). Anyone run it at these flows? Is the portage still good to go?
> 
> thanks for any info!


how did it go?


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## jerry050321111 (Jul 19, 2011)

Eye of the Needle was flipping rafts last weekend with long swims, so I've been told.


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## DrBigDog (Apr 15, 2009)

Above 5k there is a far left, near the bank, sneak at Rodeo. Not sure when that goes away. Be sure to scout Pinball w/ the railroad pylon.


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## Chance G (Jul 13, 2011)

jerry050321111 said:


> Eye of the Needle was flipping rafts last weekend with long swims, so I've been told.


I'm sure it's an easy flip if you go left...but it's an easy line...stay right and then one pull away from the bank. The whole river is pushy at this level, but loads of fun.


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## LongmontRafter (Jun 12, 2008)

stribtw said:


> how did it go?


Unfortunately due to my inexperienced crew I elected to run something else last weekend. I did scout from Rodeo down to twin bridges when the river was at about 8k. I'll post some pics tonite. Rodeo looked really fun. Pinball looked doable thru the river right entrance. Twin bridges looked more like a cheese grater for a raft if you screwed up. (assuming you could get under the bridge - which you couldn't then)


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## jalthage (May 11, 2006)

People always say to go right at Yarmony...I've run Yarmony 50+ times and have NEVER gone right...didn't even know you could when i look at it....am I looking at the wrong wave or something? Anybody got a video of a right run? I've always gone left and never had a problem.


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## BoilermakerU (Mar 13, 2009)

I've always heard left at Yarmony, and have always run it left too. I ran it right for the first time this year. At high flows, it's less work IMO, just a straight shot past the hole and through the wave train. Not hard pulling off the wall like you have to do on the left line. Neither is terribly difficult IMO, just be decisive early and get to one side or the other. There's a video on YouTube at high water of the right line.


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