# Boulder creek is BIG!



## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

We ran from Blue Bridge down. Orodell gauge was reading 5-600 cfs. Town gauge was off line. Water rolling in off all the cliff sides. Seemed like 1500-2k by the time we got to four mile. I think we git there right after four mile spiked i er a grand. Way bigger than the thousand I've run as prior highest. Once four mile dumped in it was thick with ash and floating debris. The bridge below fourmile was unpassable with a tough eddy above it. One guy lost his boat when the branch he held broke, sending him swimming under the pipe. Buttresses was scary. I walked that one, but Forrest sacked up for it as did another kid I'd never met before styled it as well. 

The at park was he worst. Felt like 3K. Many swims in here another lost boat and some other gear. One kid got worked until he lost his helmet, but found it bouncing in the eddy by widow maker. Paddle not so much


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Big cottonwood blocking broadway. Most ledges in the park looked like a crap shoot. Scout everything you think you're gonna run. The best/ worst may be gone as it was a four mile flash event. 
Have fun, be safe


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## Roy (Oct 30, 2003)

The Joy of Flood!


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## cayo 2 (Apr 20, 2007)

I think a crawler on the news said 2200...earlier I heard 940 on Four Mile Creek itself...town guage not working?...some guage that measures in feet got up to 7' dropped to 4 or 5 and is on the way up in a hurry!...did the ''wall of water " hit town yet?


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## ryguy (Jan 19, 2005)

Dave... did you fire that up today? I had a friend send me a photo of a pinned boat in town.. 

Ryan


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## Claytonious (Jan 17, 2008)

Holy crap. There would be more kayaking to do if all the roads were not washed out.


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## Paul the Kayaker (Nov 7, 2004)

If the roads were in, the next 48hours would be epic!


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## ryguy (Jan 19, 2005)

friend sent this to me.. Not sure where it is.. but be careful out there you nut balls.


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## gannon_w (Jun 27, 2006)

NICE Dave!!


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

our buddy lost that Nomad while portaging a low bridge below 4 mile. 

Roads are fine, at least on my end of town. Avoid Foothills and Arap, as the power is out there, and has been all day. Biggest intersection in town and it has stop signs planted out in between every lane.


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## Wang (Jan 2, 2008)

That boat was behind the high school on the east side of the bridge.


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## possumturd (Jul 13, 2006)

fck...I swam just looking at the thing.


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## Fuzzy (May 25, 2005)

Big!


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## alex (Mar 29, 2005)

*Saw the lost paddle*

A red Werner paddle is stuck in some trees on river right just above the 30th bridge. Too much current to be able to get it. It should stay unless the creek gets to high. Saw the paddle 4pm Thursday sept 12th.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

alex said:


> A red Werner paddle is stuck in some trees on river right just above the 30th bridge. Too much current to be able to get it. It should stay unless the creek gets to high. Saw the paddle 4pm Thursday sept 12th.


Pretty sure that paddle accompanies the orange nomad pictured above.


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## David H (Oct 14, 2003)

I went though there about 4:30 and I missed the boat and paddle.


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## smauk2 (Jun 24, 2009)

Found this on the interwebs, holy shit!


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## Paul the Kayaker (Nov 7, 2004)

Do you know where this was?


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## Buckrodgers (Feb 28, 2007)

Paul the Kayaker said:


> Do you know where this was?


I think that is a still of Forrest N on Elephant Buttress. Looks like the vid that's floating around.


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## blutzski (Mar 31, 2004)

Looks like the structure at the top of the whitewater course?


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## cayo 2 (Apr 20, 2007)

Weir drop at beginning of ww course? big drop right above that?


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## glenn (May 13, 2009)

Look like the diversion structure in the playpark to me. Although it seems like a little too much gradient...


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## David H (Oct 14, 2003)

I it isthe broken dam at the top of the WW park and he is on a very good line of green water. It was alot EZ'er then it looks.


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

glenn said:


> Look like the diversion structure in the playpark to me. Although it seems like a little too much gradient...


ditto on the dam at the top of the WW course. 

Boulder Creek bumped up to around 7K last night.

I think a lot of stuff we're used to seeing will seem like it has a little too much gradient right now.


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## David H (Oct 14, 2003)

Hey Andy,
Where did get the number 7000cfs all the gages are broken?


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## thebog (May 25, 2013)

So, would Blue Bridge down to CU Greenhouse be a bad idea this afternoon? (put in around 4?) 

American Whitewater - 03. Blue Bridge to Eben G Fine Park, Boulder Creek Colorado, US 
American Whitewater - 04. Eben G Fine Park to CU Greenhouse, Boulder Creek Colorado, US


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## ryguy (Jan 19, 2005)

Maybe it will move some shit around and create some new features. Maybe some waves..


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## mjpowhound (May 5, 2006)

Hey Dave, this gauge out east is still working: USGS Current Conditions for USGS 06730200 BOULDER CREEK AT NORTH 75TH ST. NEAR BOULDER, CO


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Floating any part of Boulder creek today looks like a bad idea. If you could get into the canyon it would be sweet from blue bridge down towards town, but the course and town look insane. Huge holes and lots of wood. The bridges right above town required ducking yesterday, but only show 9"'of daylight S of 1 pm. Broadway looked impassable as did many other footbridges. 

Curious to see how fast it drops


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## treewell (Mar 20, 2006)

>>Where did get the number 7000cfs all the gages are broken?

The 75th St gauge was in that range. But that includes all city run off, S.Bldr Ck, etc.

Boulder Creek Orodell peaked around 1500 cfs. Don't know if that includes Four Mile side creek which got up around 1000 cfs.


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## SKeen (Feb 23, 2009)

Dave (and everyone else), hoping to get out on Boulder Creek again whenever it drops to a reasonable level and roads can access.. Hit me up!!


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Orodell is above Fourmile Creek. The 7K reading was out at 75th st and includes all city runoff.

The Boulder Creek and Boulder came back on line today, but it is reading WAY low. Do not be fooled by the 1200 and change readings this afternoon. Sure looks like 3K through the course and in town. It covers most of the boulder high football field. I'll put up some pics after my slow ass old computer finishes loading them from my phone.

Several spots impassible presently: Broadway and the high school bridge, the bridges right above the course that let us squeak under yesterday did not look cooperative today. 

Most of us would consider the holes in the play park unrunnable at present flows. I never thought I'd say that, and obviously they are possible, but super burly and consequential, with many backed up by strainers. 

The upper canyon is closed due to debris in the road. Slides from river right had deposited enough sediment to fill the bike path to the top of the barricade and then block the road. Loaders were actively clearing this, but I bet there are a bunch more up stream.

Fourmile creek area is a mess. The flooding took out the bridge to Logan Mill road, and I'm sure lots of private bridges as well. The foot bridge below 17th, known as the Ho Chi Mihn trail blew out over night.

Overnight highs looked like they connected the little fishing ponds by the justice center to the main channel. The trail between looks like it could give out if flows spike up again.

The crayfish were out in masses, quite pissed about fall water levels, and even more pissed at the kid who harvested a ten pound bag of them to take home and boil.

Down at 30th street a kayaker would have just barely fit under the bridge.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

*pics*

camer phone pics. Library from River left, widow maker from RR and Widowmaker looking down from the bridge.


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## Jefe (Jul 27, 2007)

Widow maker actually looks pretty good. Who would have thought it would only take 1400cfs to get it there.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Gotta be 2-3K in there. not buying the BOCOBOCO, reinstated gauge at the library.

I've run it a bunch right around a grand, and it was tame compared to what's in there the last couple days. Never been anywhere near worried about scraping on the bridges above or below the course before.


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## alanbol (Jun 3, 2005)

"Boulder Creek CFS is 2300. It was 3000 this morning."

From: Boulder Emergency Management, 9-13-13 5:10pm Media Briefing Summary

Last night, they said the creek peaked at 4900 shortly before midnight. I have no idea where their numbers come from.

And I wouldn't trust the gauge at 75th. The creek is about a quarter-mile wide there. I seriously doubt that is calibrated in any way.


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## uhland (May 27, 2009)

Went by 75th street and Boulder creek today. Gauge was saying 5700, which probably accounted for the flow through the normal channel, but easily that much flow going out of the channel and across the road. Once the river leaves its banks, all flow measurements are guesswork. Regardless, it's an awesome sight to see this much water running down drainages that you see every day.


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## El Flaco (Nov 5, 2003)

Hey Dave - probably hard to tell at the moment, but I can imagine that some of the old school features at Carpenter are blown out. What's it looking like? Hopefully Widowmaker is gone; maybe some good can come out of this, in that a modern park can be designed and built...


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Just walked through again. They have it roped off pretty thoroughly with no access above widow maker. The drop we call adaptable falls, right below the middle foot ridge, ripped out the trees and bank on the left side., almost up to the road. The tree that stuck out from the left below the bottom bridge is lying down across the left side of the river.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Arapahoe falls, and library wave


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Access is pretty restricted. They've closed the parking lot at the Justice center for no obvious reason, and the library lot for very obvious reasons. The library lot on the south is trashed. The peace parkm viewable behind the library wave, at fist glance looks like the water isn't up in it, but that is only because the 18" of sediment is keeping the water out of the small circular courtyard.

The gauge there was reading 800, but it still looks to be 2 K to me.

It is just starting to look manageable for kayaks, but debris and authorities keep this from being reasonable.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

More pics. So much easier from phone than computer.


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## climbboat (Jun 23, 2005)

The orange boat is mine. Forrest also lost his boat and paddle (the red one) so if anyone has sighted orange Daggers, please let me know. 303-five-one-seven-five-eight-one-three.
Thanks. Fred Knapp


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## climbboat (Jun 23, 2005)

Dave-Have you posted any video?


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Riley Just finished his edit. Unfortunately the batteries ran out just after the confluence with four mile, where it really started rocking. you can see me float by the mouth of fourmile and that the waves are head high, where they would be riffles, even at spring highs. I think by the time we get to Buttresses, and the lousy vertical I phone footage, the flows are up over 3K.

Seriously, dont ever use your iphone's camera vertically. Ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYsSE0w36Ts&feature=youtu.be


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## stubby (Oct 13, 2003)

Damn! Forrest had some sick playboating moves in there.


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## bobblehead (Jun 26, 2007)

*Torn*

First off, amazing footage of BC! Sick paddling guys...I have been watching the flows waiting for a chance to get wet. When I realized this was going to be an epic weekend, I pulled out my boat and started psyching up. 

Then I paused and realized my hands were needed elsewhere. While more comfortable on a paddle than sandbags, our community is in need. Especially from people that understand and are competent around moving water. I spent the weekend helping friends and strangers divert water, sandbag, salvage personal items, and try to save homes. All the while imagining what the boating was like on the creeks.

I don't presume to know what everyone is doing to help out, but the perception is not positive to those in desperate need. I have been defending our boating community from accusations of being selfish and arrogant, but again, can understand the perception.

Part of what makes boating so special is the strong sense of community. Just asking us all to remember that sometimes community means something more than those who float around in little plastic boats.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

For what it's worth, we headed up the canyon Thursday morning at 8 am, prior to anyone save KSC knowing how bad it was going to get. Four mile flashed while we were up there and there was no state of emergency or boating bam yet in effect. In fact the course and buttresses looked like normal high water when we drove up. What a difference an hour or two made.


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## Ricky NM (Jun 28, 2008)

I was able to get up the canyon to the Buttress on my run earlier and the damage to the canyon and road is utterly insane. The side canyon at the Buttress washed out HUGE and it looks like there are a few new very large boulders in the middle of the creek. A ranger made us turn around near the top of the drop so I couldn't get close enough to be sure, but it looks like many of the rocks that make the S-move at the top have also shifted. Given the extent of the damage throughout that section, I wouldn't doubt that the whole creek bed from Fourmile down has changed dramatically.

BTW, I was one of about 30 people in that portion of the canyon. I ran right by the officers blocking the road and they didn't say anything so I kept on going. Perhaps someone with a camera could try and make their way up there.


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## huck it (Jul 23, 2011)

http://youtu.be/wsdoPz51n9Q

Elephant Buttress. Check out the guard rail. Also that rock at the entrance that used to make the S turn before rounding the corner appears to have rolled. Should be interesting to see what's the line at normal flow.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

huck it said:


> Boulder Canyon Flooding 2013 boulder colorado - YouTube
> 
> Elephant Buttress. Check out the guard rail. Also that rock at the entrance that used to make the S turn before rounding the corner appears to have rolled. Should be interesting to see what's the line at normal flow.


Damn, that was literally my favorite rock of the rapid. Used to be such a sweet boof.

Really looking forward to seeing all the changes this wrought, though mostly for the worse.


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## Claytonious (Jan 17, 2008)

huck it said:


> Boulder Canyon Flooding 2013 boulder colorado - YouTube
> 
> Elephant Buttress. Check out the guard rail. Also that rock at the entrance that used to make the S turn before rounding the corner appears to have rolled. Should be interesting to see what's the line at normal flow.


 
What?! How did all that guard rail get in the river? Did it come from upstream?


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## Phillips (Feb 19, 2004)

huck it said:


> Boulder Canyon Flooding 2013 boulder colorado - YouTube
> 
> Elephant Buttress. Check out the guard rail. Also that rock at the entrance that used to make the S turn before rounding the corner appears to have rolled. Should be interesting to see what's the line at normal flow.


Damn. . . I loved that move.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Guard rail is from the other side of the road. Most of the damage is from side hill flows, not the main channel


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## David H (Oct 14, 2003)

I'm thinking about running Boulder Creek tomorrow or Sunday. I was just at widow maker it looks to be about 800 CFS. Has anybody been harassed by the cops or National Guard? I understand it is still technically closed. What do you have to tell those guys to get up the canyon?


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## stubby (Oct 13, 2003)

David H said:


> I'm thinking about running Boulder Creek tomorrow or Sunday. I was just at widow maker it looks to be about 800 CFS. Has anybody been harassed by the cops or National Guard? I understand it is still technically closed. What do you have to tell those guys to get up the canyon?


Go paddle clear creek or bearcreek. both are open for business at good flows.


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## David H (Oct 14, 2003)

Boulder Creek is currently at about 350 CFS. It looks like forest blew out widow maker it might be a good surf hole now.


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