# New San Juan Rapid



## lambardi (Sep 20, 2014)

tl;dr Heads up there is a new Rapid on the San Juan at Twin Canyon.

I just got back from an 8 night trip down the San Juan. I'm happy to report the river is amazing right now. We had a phenomenal trip. The water levels were great for our trip, and looking on USGS they are still quite decent and should stay that way for at least a little longer. 

I wanted to give people headed out a heads up that there is a new rapid at Twin Canyon. The Twin Canyon side canyon apparently washed out recently and pushed a ton of debris into the river. I'm no expert at classifying rapids, but the waves here were easily bigger than government, and from what I saw, a scout of the rapid (on river right) was highly valuable if not vital. The water is calmer on the right, but don't be fooled into going that way, there is a full on wall of rock there. River left is where to run, we dropped in toward the right of the main tongue, and found that lead to a super smooth roller coaster across the waves. While the waves are big, taking the path we did was super easy and safe, the rapid gave us a fun ride and dropped us out the bottom safe and sound. 

My trip leader took a bunch of pictures so I'll try and grab those from him and throw them up later this week, but I wanted to give people a heads up to know to expect new whitewater.


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## Beardance42 (May 12, 2008)

We have a Sun 6/7 launch, looking forward to pics, thx !

Did you know about this rapid before you ran it ??


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## noneuclidean (Aug 2, 2013)

We have a 6/17 launch. Look forward to the photos!


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## Wavester (Jul 2, 2010)

Noticed that one last week on the San Juan, the waves were definitely bigger than Government but I thought it was much less technical. To me it's a read and run rapid..possibly a class III. We had about 1400 cfs for the trip.


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## tteton (May 16, 2014)

thank you


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## Jim S (May 26, 2015)

We pulled off about a week ago. Had we not talked to a guy in a canoe a few miles before the new rapid (about mile 48.5?) I would not have had any heads-up. We read and ran it down the middle (there was a tree stuck on the right side). Waves were fun. As mentioned above it is less technical than Government, at least at that water level (about 2k). I would probably classify it as barely a 3.


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## rvrrats (Jun 2, 2015)

On the trip with Lambardi, we ran it on Wednesday May 27th. We were told about it by a woman at Honaker. Its at RM 48.3, between the two side canyons coming in from the right. I have not checked the river gauge, but it was probably running around 2000 cfs. Its a straightforward left run, but might be more technical at lower levels. I'm attaching a few pics.


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## Beardance42 (May 12, 2008)

Thx guys! Looks like a tidy little drop. 

I got confused by the scout picture, since that's taken from river right, where the others were from the left.


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## lambardi (Sep 20, 2014)

Yeah, that's right beardance, the first one is from the scout on river right, the other three are from river left in an eddy just below the rapid. 

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## tteton (May 16, 2014)

Cranking!
SAN JUAN - BLUFF, NR (BFFU1)


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## tteton (May 16, 2014)

I launch in three days. This should get interesting. Been very monsoonal.


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## jamesthomas (Sep 12, 2010)

Yep, shes a crankin. We launch friday. I have a bud that launched today. Bet hes having an interesting evening. Im definitely keeping a close eye on that hurricane thats hitting cabo tomorrow. Wheres all that tropical juice going to end up?


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## Salidaboater (Nov 5, 2013)

I also just returned from an 8 day trip. My wife is learning to row and was just doing flat water sections in a raft by herself, I was lead and all of the sudden I saw that rapid and thought oh s***t. I ran it pulled over just in time to see her pushing instead of pulling and she put it right on top of a rock just above the hole. Thank goodness she was real close to the shore and I was able to get on and we got a rope on the stern and others pulled her off while I rowed through. Fun little rapid it actually has some moves in it.

Definitely made for an exciting day. Put on at 1800 cfs and took out at 2800cfs.


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## Salidaboater (Nov 5, 2013)

In my opinion it is a class 3 rapid. At least it was last week. Who knows at different water levels. It's new!! A river is a living changing creature.

Got a love that


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## followthebubbleline (Mar 16, 2009)

Got off the river two day ago and had heard there was a new rapid at Twin Canyons but didn't have any beta on it. Ran the new rapid on June 3rd at 2500 cfs. Exciting little drop for our 4 rafts, 8 duckies and kayak. Just read and run down the tongue on the far left side of the river. The water on the approach is slow moving and there is a large eddy river-right below the rapid. We had a less than experienced group but everyone stayed straight in/through the rapid and we didn't have any swimmers. 

I'd rate it a class 2-3, depending on water level. At 2500 it was very straight forward and easy to enter, no impediments, no sharp turns to make or adjustments in the middle of the rapid but the waves were pretty big and could easily swamp an open canoe.


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## Beardance42 (May 12, 2008)

Just got off SJ yesterday. Judging by the Bluff gauge and accounting for time, Twin Canyons was at about 5500cfs. Big drop left side, 5 or 6 hefty waves, easily the biggest waves on the run. Definitely less technical than Government, but I think a Class III to be sure. Duckie floaters best be aware. 

I'll post a headcam video when I dig out my camera. 

Spikey flow, tons of flotsam, side-canyon waterfalls and epic sand waves; the river is going a little crazy.


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## Fuzzy (May 25, 2005)

Ran it at 6600'ish years ago. Biggest problem was making camp in about an hour then sitting in the heat with not enough beer! Ross was super fun and Govt. was a big wash. Very hard to make camp eddy at Johns. Pull over before the bend and scout your landing if planning to camp. Enjoy the lack of a paddle out!!!! Lower canyon camping sucks so camp at slick horn then go all the way to C-Hills


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## Beardance42 (May 12, 2008)

Twin Canyon, ~5500 cfs.


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## readNrun (Aug 1, 2013)

We camped right below the rapid. There's a path up to it from the campsite and it's tons of fun to swim it - especially the wave train on the left side.


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## tteton (May 16, 2014)

Ran the new rapid @ 8000 cfs 6/11. Fun wave train
Challenging to catch slack water at that rate. The sand waves are soooo fun! Trying to catch those things was the only time I rowed really hard. Four foot was non existent. Eight foot was a fun wave train right down the middle. Ross! What a great eddy and camp at 8000. Bigg couple hits in the middle of the rapid. Government was a fun wave train with good hits. Slickhorn A was the first real bugs (skeeters) we saw all trip and they weren't that bad. Grand gultch was super flashed out by rains on 6/6. Steer gultch camp was a swamp 6/13 and we were on the menu for dinner(lots of skeeters). Stayed on the ledges just down river. Great camp. Super flat. The road out from clay hills just got regraded, but its trashed from 6/6 flash flooding. Can't wait to go back and spend more time at Oljeto Wash.


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## lambardi (Sep 20, 2014)

Sounds like a lot of really awesome highwater runs, very cool to hear about and imagine the river at that level. 

Thanks for the video Beardance! Twin canyon looks a lot different at 5500 cfs than 2400 when we went through it. Gotta love how dynamic and alive rivers can be!


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## rvrrats (Jun 2, 2015)

tteton, good to know there's a backup ledges camp below Steer Gulch.
It was ok when we were there in late May, but well aware it can be
flooded.


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## keith beck (May 26, 2005)

Any comments on what this is like at lower flows. Planning to launch open canoe trip July 16.


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## dbendell (Apr 8, 2012)

keith beck said:


> Any comments on what this is like at lower flows. Planning to launch open canoe trip July 16.


you'll love it

did it last week and 2 weeks prior

read and run,
left of center


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## keith beck (May 26, 2005)

What flows did you have? We are doing OC1 trip...


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## dbendell (Apr 8, 2012)

keith beck said:


> What flows did you have? We are doing OC1 trip...


5000 cfs and 2300 cfs,

besides if you swim, there is a huge pool of water below. Huge!

need not be afraid.....


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## BLott (Mar 27, 2010)

We ran it last week about 2400 and the new rapid is easy read-and run. 

Enter way left and ride out the waves. Don't be too far to the center at the top as some of those new rocks look pretty sharp. 

We camped at Steer on weds night 6/30/15 and the bugs were out but not brutal.


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