# Biggest Hole In Colorado



## Id725 (Nov 22, 2003)

Toilet Bowl in Gore Canyon. Scariest swim of my life.
Boat Eater in Royal Gorge when flow is very high.


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

-Dick Wadham, head of the Colorado Republican Party. (Mr C's bastard uncle) 

-Hole on right wall, lower Sledgehammer, Royal Gorge.
Not sure if it is the biggest hole but it could be the hardest to get out of. Watched a buddy get surfed for 15 minutes in his cat. When we finally got a rope from his cat to my cat and I pulled out into the current, I thought he would just pop right out. But my cat came to a complete stop and it took both of us pulling on our oars to pull him out.

-Bottom hole in Dowd Chutes @ 4800 cfs. Not recommended, bad memories

Hope to see Cross Mtn this spring below 3k!


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## Canada (Oct 24, 2006)

I'd go upper death and osterizer for the biggest. Stickiest is a different question. Does upper death count as a hole? My vote is hole. Skull is a hole at high water, so- so is upper death


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## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

Meanest hole I've actually ran was 3 Rocks on the Ark at 4,000. Becomes a dumptruck shit show comparable to Seidels at high flow.

YouTube - they'll never raft again,three rocks 4150cfs..6-21-08


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## hullflyer (Aug 22, 2004)

Osterizer is certainly the biggest actual hole @ 15,000 I have seen here in CO. Gore's Toilet Bowl is really a riverwide pourover if you want to get really technical but I have witnessed boaters surf out after very long rides there. Nancy's hole on the lower gorge Upper Animas run is a pourover too but not something you can get out of and my vote for scariest "hole". It's a drowning machine at 5500-6000 cfs. Luckily very easy to miss.


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## gh (Oct 13, 2003)

The hole in lower sledge is Clarks. I would vote for moonpie on Pine Creek as hardest to get out of. Happy that whens its really cooking I have watched others in it and not me.


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## craven_morhead (Feb 20, 2007)

Yeah, I think biggest =/= stickiest, though I'm interested to know people's thoughts on both.


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## Theophilus (Mar 11, 2008)

I vote for the one you're in.


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## Roy (Oct 30, 2003)

I don't know about "biggest", but the bottom of Double Trouble at least deserves a respectful nod in this thread...maybe that upper drop in Poudre Falls too, not that anybody ever runs it...


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## caspermike (Mar 9, 2007)

Meanest hole in My mind is something that obviously makes the ground rumble when you can't see it and will def give you a beat down you will feel for days! Tunnel has mad power due to the vertical kinectic energy gained in the drop but if I didn't choose double trouble instead than it wouldn t be fair cause it has the power and a greater recirc possibilty. As for one of My most painful beatdowns, bluegrass main event is pretty damn powerful. As for biggest stickiest bureliest hole ive come apon would have to be none other than the LOAF of boxelder that's what you find in your pants when you see it. Big and ugly for sure!


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## cayo 2 (Apr 20, 2007)

good name Mike ,lol

forgot about those 'lead ins ' to Poudre Falls,f'ing ridiculous I don't even see how the best boater could run that high!A much smaller but similar and pretty mean one is 1st falls on Bailey,easy leadin looks like you could just boof over it but I've seen the beatings it can dole out.


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## cayo 2 (Apr 20, 2007)

the holes in Supermax at high flows,see the pics in the Bible ,1st edition


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## slavetotheflyrod (Sep 2, 2009)

Biggest asshole? That award would have to go to Sir Lewis Shaw II


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## Riparian (Feb 7, 2009)

Courtney Love. Scary-big. Deadly.


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## Mike Harvey (Oct 10, 2003)

have we gotten this far without mentioning the S-bend hole in Pine Creek? Only at medium levels, flushes at peak flows.


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## mr. compassionate (Jan 13, 2006)

cayo 2 said:


> What do you think are the biggest holes in Colorado[ excluding Mr. c's piehole and other orafi ]?Was comparing a surprisingly big hole on the SP town run to Seidels on another thread ,got me thinking.What are the biggest meanest holes in the state/region?
> Came up with ;the big one on Cross Mtn. gorge[ Oesterizer?],Gore rapid,something in Barrel at high flows,the Animas gets big,never done those runs and only have seen Barrel high so just guesses/going by what i've read.Tell us about some monsters or wicked little guys.


 
Now that made me laugh!


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## gh (Oct 13, 2003)

Mike Harvey said:


> have we gotten this far without mentioning the S-bend hole in Pine Creek? Only at medium levels, flushes at peak flows.


I have heard it called Moonpie so I listed it above.


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## ACC (Oct 30, 2003)

^^^ yep, DT always gets the nerves revved up.

For the meanest, I'd say pyrite in Gore at > 3000 cfs. For evidence, check out crazy Coombs running that sh*t at 4500. Hand of God ejected him from the maw, but who knows what would've been without that superreal burp:

Kayaking Gore Canyon at floodstage on Vimeo


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## Mike Harvey (Oct 10, 2003)

gh said:


> I have heard it called Moonpie so I listed it above.


 it is. Missed that. It is a scary hole when it is sticky. Used to be peak gnar factor at about 2.5'-4.5' on the old Scott's gauge, maybe 1200cfs in Browns to roughly 2500cfs. In '95 at 6500cfs in Browns it was a total flush through there, probably would have been epic surfing if I hadn't been so scared.

some good rides in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umyEk_eFu0A&feature=related


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## cayo 2 (Apr 20, 2007)

who is Sir lewis Shaw 2 , I tried to google it but got some Brittish actor or comic book hero.You have piqued my curiosity.Man that avatar creeps me out,is the goatee a muff or what /kind of pleasingly sacreligious but who wants to see a tattoo of a dude while they are goin' down .Heaven forbid you have religious hangups WTF


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## slavetotheflyrod (Sep 2, 2009)

Sir Lewis Shaw II would be the huge asshole, Texan land developer that is trying to close off the Taylor. 

The Avatar is Willie Nelson, not Jesus - Jesus wore a crown of thorns, not a sweatband.


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## slavetotheflyrod (Sep 2, 2009)

I've taken it upon myself to knight Lewis Shaw and attach the title of "the first duke of Taylor"


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## cayo 2 (Apr 20, 2007)

Guess i should have picked up on the headgear ..oh well Willie is equally funny and bizarre


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## cayo 2 (Apr 20, 2007)

good nomination


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## Rich (Sep 14, 2006)

slavetotheflyrod said:


> Sir Lewis Shaw II would be the huge asshole, Texan land developer that is trying to close off the Taylor.
> 
> The Avatar is Willie Nelson, not Jesus - Jesus wore a crown of thorns, not a sweatband.


When I thought it was Jesus, I found it bizarre and annoying but thought it was covered by religious freedom, so I ignored it.

Now you are telling us it is Willie Nelson?? Man, you are just plain weird and I understand past posters that said they could not take you seriously.


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## pinemnky13 (Jun 4, 2007)

My ex-girlfreinds mouth


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## N. Wigston (Nov 5, 2003)

Mandatory Thrashing in the rockwood box at 8,000cfs ([email protected] guage)


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

Can't say a thing about CO, but I can say that the hole in Lower Cliffside on the Middle Fork Salmon gets truly frightening at high water. I got to see one of our kayakers go in there right in front of me, he flushed out without damage except to ego, so it was pretty funny. 

One of those guys who when they get to a rapid just kind of kick the turbo in and paddle hard the whole time. Except he had a slower, surfer type kayaker in front. He chose the worst possible place to pass on the whole river. The edge of the hole sucked him in. I got to see about 4 pretty violent retendos. 

[/end of out state thread jack]


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## Awoody (Nov 15, 2006)

Upper Death at 15,000 is the wildest looking feature on a river that I've seen in CO.


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## Matty (May 13, 2004)

My rookie year on the Ark, Seidels at 4200 looked pretty big from the bottom of the river. Kinda dark down there.


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## Matty (May 13, 2004)

At 7 grand on Lodore, the first drop in Hells half mile is a monster. Triplet is pretty huge too, but you'd have to be real drunk to get near it.


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## routter (Mar 10, 2004)

Oesterizer in Cross > 10k...hands down. I've been stuck in Pyrite @ the levels Jesse and Ben ran it- not fun but extractable. Been in the bottom of double trouble too @ flood- stayed in my boat. Oesterizer would kill you dead, period.


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## arkriverrat (Apr 11, 2005)

*Moist Slot 600 CFS*

May not be that "big", but the ugliest hole I have found myself in was Moist Slot on South Boulder Creek @ 600 CFS... I wasn't sure I would ever have the opportunity to boat again after that epic ride...


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## dograft83 (Jun 16, 2008)

http://www.youtube.com/v/4ls1hm-gUfw
http://www.youtube.com/v/4ls1hm-gUfw"


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

dograft83 said:


> http://www.youtube.com/v/4ls1hm-gUfw
> http://www.youtube.com/v/4ls1hm-gUfw"



That was quite rad.


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## ActionJackson (Apr 6, 2005)

dograft83 said:


> http://www.youtube.com/v/4ls1hm-gUfw
> http://www.youtube.com/v/4ls1hm-gUfw"


Any old-timers remember Cully Erdman's 'run' of this drop that was on American Sportsman around 1980 (+/- 2 yrs)? Ugly - helicopter extract and all. I think I still have this on VHS tape somewhere. Tried but couldn't find on-line. 

Same tape I have has the "White Room" clip w/ Matt Gaines and Kevin Padden on Barrel Springs at big flood ('83, maybe?) Gaines: "It was like this giant white room! And I realized...w-w-w-wow! I'm going in there!" As much as I "knew" him from boating videos, Gaines sure seemed like a likable guy, totally energized by boating. R.I.P. If memory serves, I believe he and Padden were somewhere in Asia for a boating expedition and had a bad car wreck. Gaines was killed and Padden seriously injured. (Lot of years ago - some here probably have much more knowledge/better memory.)


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## randomnature (Jun 10, 2007)

*Surprised*

I'm surprised by the restraint shown by the Buzzards. No mention of raft guides mouths or female raft guides.


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

carvedog said:


> Can't say a thing about CO, but I can say that the hole in Lower Cliffside on the Middle Fork Salmon gets truly frightening at high water. I got to see one of our kayakers go in there right in front of me, he flushed out without damage except to ego, so it was pretty funny.
> 
> One of those guys who when they get to a rapid just kind of kick the turbo in and paddle hard the whole time. Except he had a slower, surfer type kayaker in front. He chose the worst possible place to pass on the whole river. The edge of the hole sucked him in. I got to see about 4 pretty violent retendos.
> 
> [/end of out state thread jack]


I think he floated in all willy nilly eating a power bar or something. he was in a Mamba and got so worked. I could only look over my shoulder as i floated by helplessly. That thing is huge at 6 1/4'

I think my worst hole ride to date was Pine creek the beginning of my second season boating. Maybe around 900 cfs?

Moist slot on lower South Boulder up around 600 cfs is truly a killer. I've seen big beat down swims as well as a 60 second ride by Leland where he managed to escape in his boat. GE swam there earlier the same week.

Rip James, who did did not survive the drop.


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## swiftwater15 (Feb 23, 2009)

*American Sportsman Episode.*



ActionJackson said:


> Any old-timers remember Cully Erdman's 'run' of this drop that was on American Sportsman around 1980 (+/- 2 yrs)? Ugly - helicopter extract and all. I think I still have this on VHS tape somewhere. Tried but couldn't find on-line.


Yep. I do remember that. I ran Cross in 83 or 84. I'd been kayaking a couple seasons, and didn't know s**t. We were living in Jensen, UT and working in Dinosaur. A friend said, "you want to run Cross Mountain?" I said I didn't know, and asked them if they thought I could do it. They said" gotta roll?" I said, "sure." They said I'd be fine. Turned out they just needed my POS 1960 VW Baja Bug to help run shuttle. I ran it three days in a row. Day one, I cracked my fiberglass kayak, but made it through, portaging Osterizer.. I glassed it up and tried for day two. That time, I broke it in half. and had to hike out. Day 3 I borrowed a Hydra Taurus (the shit hot plastic boat of 1984). I ended up getting recirculated in a hole down where it was dark, but did ok other than the one swim. Some time later, someone showed me the Cully Erdman American Sportsman episode. I wish I had seen it before I went, because I never would have gone, and I'd still have my sweet fiberglass Mark V kayak. The nightmares only lasted a couple months, but I still have a 4-inch scar on my shin from coming out of my busted boat.


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## sward (Dec 14, 2003)

Satan's Gut at 50K.


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## gannon_w (Jun 27, 2006)

randomnature said:


> I'm surprised by the restraint shown by the Buzzards. No mention of raft guides mouths or female raft guides.


 
Ha ha ha...right after this thred was made and like 2 replies I was thinking of a good Colfax is where you'll find the biggest hole joke....But I restrained!


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## rg5hole (May 24, 2007)

second sward on Satan's over 50K...I would add Little Niagara and The Button to that.

While not in colorado it is on the Colorado how about Lava's Ledge Hole...and it is out to play at virtually all levels!

YouTube - Disaster in Lava


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