# Any rafting in may



## stinginrivers (Oct 18, 2003)

Your best bet for comercial rafting at that time of year with some decent flows would be down in Durango, especially this year with the fat snow pack they have. Give Mild to Wild a call. 

Their are many other places to go but usually at the end of may the rivers aren't flowing that great just yet but that is on a typical year I have seen 3000cfs on the arkansas at that time of year bu that was 96'. 

Hope this helps.


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

lower taos box on the rio grande might be something to look into. not sure though.
i am almost sure you could find a company to take you down the numbers on the arkansas in late may and definitely you can find a company to take you down the royal gorge in late may and tell you its class 4. hell, they'll tell you its class 5 if you want em to.


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## Jones (Apr 5, 2005)

A company on the Arkansas that runs during that time is Arkansas River Tours...Well really all of the companies run then, but Im partial to ART. Often times in late May the water is up to fun high water. The Royal Gorge is a really fun run, get pretty big at big water. If the water does end up above 3200 cfs, most companies won't run commercially through the gorge. I don't know any companies that run trips down south, but I do know that a couple of the companies on the lower ARK run the rivers in southern CO early season. 

Also like was said before, Pine Creek on the upper ARK is a real good section, and the Numbers is a lot of fun at high water.


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## abron (Nov 19, 2004)

the taos box is running @ 1000!!! right now! so is the chama!!!  i would be more enthusiastic, but i am at work on a 48 hr. shift!!!  
the box peaked at 1600 last year, so this looks pretty sweet so far. i hope it lasts for a while....
santa fe rafting will be up there every day.... www.santaferafting.com- (505) 988 4914. tell em abe sent ya. 

the santa cruz, embudo, and pecos are running too...
p.s. what's up baird?? remember us punk kids from WRS in santa?
take care- see you on the rio!


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

sorry abe, might have the wrong baird, unless it was one of my trips where the whole thing was a blackout. dont know what WRS in santa is and dont remember any punk kids.


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## abron (Nov 19, 2004)

sorry, my bad. wild river sports was the boating store in santa fe where i acquired my first setup of used gear,trading work for gear. .. and there was a baird who worked there, and then moved to co. ......


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## BrianK (Feb 3, 2005)

Come to A1 on the poudre. We should have water in the end of may and it should be class four in sections. We also have very cheap rates before june.


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## CroatianCookiemonster (Apr 11, 2005)

lol zbaird..so the royal gorge is really just class 3? I'm looking to capsize or something. heck i'll go toobing down the royal gorge if i have to.


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## mrbrejcha (Feb 28, 2005)

the dolores. scheduled dam release says may will be kikin and will peak around the 26th of may.
check out http://www.durangorivertrippers.com/dolores.html


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## kentv (Apr 3, 2004)

Look to Steamboat and Blue Sky West for Class IV boating in May and April. Depending on flows, we'll be rafting Cross Mountain Canyon on the Yampa River all throughout. Depending on snowmelt, it may be to high, over 4500 cfs for us to run commercially. We're running it now in April commercially


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## CroatianCookiemonster (Apr 11, 2005)

Thanks guys...is there anything closer to Colorado Springs though? within 2 hrs?  sorry to be a pain


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Just look under "Raft Trips" in the Yellow Pages and start calling all those toll-free numbers up in the Arkansas Valley. In late May the Ark starts hitting the teens on average. Zach's (ZBaird's) thinking of the Class III creekbed it was last May at 600 cfs and it ain't going to be like that this year unless the weather stays super cold. You're bound to find someone that'll be running commercially then. There should be a kick-butt runoff on the Ark this year to boot so who knows - it may be running a couple of grand by then...

Daily flows at Parkdale:
http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/co/nwis/dvstat/?site_no=07094500&agency_cd=USGS

--Andy


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## zbaird (Oct 11, 2003)

andy, still feeling like sh*t?? the gorge does get rockin at higher water and the consequence factor is class four ,but most of the moves and rapids remain class 3. when she said "...at least class 4" and even suggested gore, i figured she was a little more experienced and looking for something more challenging. remember, we are talking commercial trip here, not you at the oars. J/K. lets have a meeting some night this week and make sure that lid is safe. 

CCM, all depends on where you are. if you have run browns canyon or any other real straight forward class3 trip a time or two then the gorge is a step up, will be very exciting, perhaps a little spooky at high water , and will definitely feel like class 4 if you swim. pine creek/ numbers is more technical and has a few more demanding moves...... gore is another step up. if you feel like you know your way around a raft, are in good shape, strong swimmer, and want some fairly gnarly action, look to raft gore. i think timberline, and maybe others, offer a class 4 package , with portages( short and fairly easy) of the 2 class 5's, as well as the full on 5 package. the guide decides on river what you will and wont run according to how he feels about the crew/level. if none of this makes sense to you, forget about it all, including gore and take andys advice to call the 800 #'s on the ark.[/quote]


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## CroatianCookiemonster (Apr 11, 2005)

Timberlinetours looks great! (http://www.timberlinetours.com/) They have a trip class 4+ for $74 at the end of may

Also, Clear Creek CO. (http://www.clearcreekrafting.com/trips.html) will have a full day trip at the end of may in Gore Canyon 

Thank for all your help everyone


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