# ruby horsethief canyon, black rock campsites



## gapers (Feb 14, 2004)

Fuck,one Ruby-Horsetheif thread at a time....

How come nobody that floats this is capable of finding a spot on the river by themselves?


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## sofia (Mar 17, 2008)

so your saying you don't recommend black rock #1 eh. thanks for the advice.


...dickhead



gapers said:


> Fuck,one Ruby-Horsetheif thread at a time....
> 
> How come nobody that floats this is capable of finding a spot on the river by themselves?


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## baggins424 (Apr 20, 2007)

I think #6 is the money spot and should accomodate a group of your size nicely.


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## upshitscreek (Oct 21, 2007)

whatever site you want will usually be poached by some group of sperm burpers anyway. always have a plan b.... or a gun,duct tape and cement blocks....

there was also a genius idea i read here recently of taking a digital pic of the registry when you launch in case the poaching group is too large and you run out of bullets,ect.


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## Matty (May 13, 2004)

I like #7 myself. The idea for taking a picture of the registry is great, except for the fact that it is not required to register. If you sign up for a spot and the spot is taken, obviously you will go to the next best site. Then, the folks who signed up for that one show up, and YOU are all of the sudden the assh*le. Not a perfect system, but do we really want a permit system?


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## upshitscreek (Oct 21, 2007)

yeah, good point. the digi pic was mentioned for Gunny Gorge's registry, i think.

permits are a pain in the ass,no doubt. however, once on an otherwise crowded river and everything is set it's nice to have a campsite lined up and the "authority"  to boot interlopers out,ect. and not appear like a dick if you snatch someone else's site because yours was poached. i really don't run H/R much anymore but wouldn't mind something like Gunny's basic system there. A few bucks is worth it to me in the big picture vs. abit of stress or potential confrontation. 

I guess one thing you could use a digi pic for on the H/R run would be as a record of who did sign up at the time you launched and what spots might potentially be open still? Again, not ideal because people could be launching behind you but still a chance of not screwing anyone vs a confirmed screwing?


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## jbminn (Sep 10, 2009)

*Recommend Blackrock #6*



sofia said:


> A group of 15 of us are floating down the Colorado the week after next and I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a blackrock campsite for a group our size. I've always picked #5 for some odd reason. It's a nice spot but not enough flat spots for 15 people to pitch tents.
> 
> Thanks.


We had a group of 40 split between BR #5 & #6 last weekend. I personally camped at #6 and enjoyed it. There's plenty of room for 15 tents, and don't be afraid to hike up above the sandy beach area to discover several beautiful spots next to the juniper trees. A couple are perfectly flat & offer both a nice breeze & sun break for the late afternoon heat.

Be warned, however, that there are approx. 5 trains per day that come through just opposite the campsite on the canyon wall across the river. Though only one of these sounded its horn in the middle of the night, it was pretty loud.

And be advised that the river is running really slow. You'll be paddling a lot, but it will give you a chance to notice the Bald Eagles - we saw several.

_- Edit - just noticed the post date of the original. Doh._


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## Ture (Apr 12, 2004)

Can you let us know how it was in terms of crowds? I might do a late season run if the crowds die down.

I did it in Aug. and every single campsite was taken. Massive crowds. Toilet paper, fresh human feces, dog crap, and tampon applicators everywhere. It was filthy and crowded. The takeout at Westwater station was a complete zoo. Can't wait until they permit that section.


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## jbminn (Sep 10, 2009)

The river itself was surprisingly empty, though not completely so.  I didn't see any significant trash on the river or in the two sites at which we camped.

Yes, Westwater was a bit of zoo, but that's to be expected. The changing room was clean, as was the outhouse. Our cars, which we had shuttled from Fruita, were unperturded in the WW parking lots three days later, so it appears there are currently no security issues. There have been, it is reported, car break-ins at Loma recently.

As mentioned above, the river is flowing slowly. Be prepared to paddle, as we encountered numerous 'lake-like' sections that were almost glass-like to the eye.

Oh, and human waste? BLM recommends peeing in the river, so we did that, but we used two Groovers supplied by our outfitter for solid waste. We packed it out with us - no trace, police lines for campsites ensure we leave it as we found it.


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## catfishjon (Jan 27, 2007)

Ture said:


> Can't wait until they permit that section.


the ranger told me the other day that next season there will be a permit system.


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## ritatheraft (May 22, 2007)

Also heard there would be a permit system next year. can't wait. SHIT SHOW! There will also be mandatory groovers and firepans for Upper Colorado Pumphouse!


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## Ture (Apr 12, 2004)

jbminn said:


> The river itself was surprisingly empty, though not completely so. I didn't see any significant trash on the river or in the two sites at which we camped.
> 
> ...


I guess I noticed all the crap and tampon applicators because I had my little Chihuahua with me. He likes human feces and he has a good nose. When I saw him sniffing and licking a flat rock on the edge of camp I knocked it over to find a huge fresh pile of diarrhea and toilet paper. My dog was psyched because he got a few mouthfuls before I could stop him. 

There were plenty of rocks covering piles at the place we camped. Once I knew about it I noticed tiny corners of toilet paper peeking out from under the rocks all over the place. In one particular location that was a bit secluded from camp it was literally a fly infested stinking shit-fest. It was disgusting. I saw 3 or 4 tampon applicators on my short hikes around camp too. Just take a walk a few hundred feet from camp, to where it feels like you are just outside of camp, and start picking up rocks the size of dinner plates. Guaranteed you will find suprises under a large number of them.


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## jbminn (Sep 10, 2009)

Ture said:


> I guess I noticed all the...


Well, I guess I'm glad I didn't see any of that.

Seriously, BR #6 seemed pretty clean. We were a large group & pretty spread out, with half of us in BR #5, and no one complained of anything like what you're describing.

I personally camped up away from the sandy beach on the flat 'ledge' that is approximately level with the cliff from which folks jump into the river (just on the other side of BR #5 but after the short rapids) and saw neither garbage nor any evidence of toilet paper, etc.

I have no experience w/ any of the other campsites, but BR #6 (and to the extent that I was personally briefly in BR #5) was pretty clean.


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## cadster (May 1, 2005)

News story from a month ago:
Tension rises on Colorado River over campsites


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## sofia (Mar 17, 2008)

last weekend at mee corner camp i picked up at least 20 cig butts. all in the main area...but not in any one particular spot. so some d-bag was just strolling around in the shade flicking butts on the ground. it's so wrong!!

does anyone know if theres any rock art up on the upper level, above all the lower mee sites? i heard there was...but couldn't find any.


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## flyfish (May 17, 2007)

We camped at 9A & B about a month ago and that area worked great for a group of about 20. Thanks to the floks who nicely traded site 8 with us so we could be in one area. 9 has plenty of room, shade, a beach and a good eddy for the kids to swim in.


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