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Ark melt?

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6K views 28 replies 12 participants last post by  Phil U. 
#1 ·
Anybody along the river this week see anything clearing up? It was close to 70 in Canon City yesterday; has me wondering if there's any chance to paddle anywhere on the Ark this weekend?
If you've got a visual on Pine Creek, Parkdale, or anything in-between in the next day or three, please post what you see. Is it all still ice?
 
#3 ·
What Tree said. The BV playpark has a "runnable" channel through it if you don't mind major ice shelves. Logan said the Milk Run is "open". I'm gonna look at some of the Fractions at the end of today. We're planning on getting on something on Sun. Will keep you in the loop, Id.
 
#4 ·
In my opinion from the #'s to town is not safe as there are a ton of ice bridges. I would think something further south had to melt out as it is 51 here in BV today.

The only reason that the upper river was open the past couple of years was the change in the way water is moved.. In 2009 or so where the fisher folks wanted any extra water released or moved in the winter so you would see 100+ cfs of "warm" water getting released out of Twin in Jan - Feb - early March. This in turn allows the river to be kept super low in May (or until natural run off starts) for the fry to emerge.. It is also done so that fisherfolk can ensure good fishing during the caddis hatch that happens every year in late April / early May.

Needless to say there is not much extra water in the system this year so I doubt you will see any release of "winter water" to melt the ice. With out this water getting released I would bet from Piney to town will be frozen for at least another month or so.
 
#6 ·
I know you will phil!

As I have said you are flat crazy for paddlin this time of year :D..

All kiddin aside - Parkdale has to be ice free as that used to be the go to run in years of the past when the #'s would be frozen for 3 months straight.

Good luck in your search man!
 
#8 ·
The best option for just getting on the water that I have seen in the last 2 days is the middle of Rincon. You could put in just below Bear Creek rapid and boat down to just above the typewriter wave. There is one small ice bridge shortly above Spider rapid, but it didn't have any current above it, and it looked to me like you could paddle up onto it and push across... you would have to take out before the corner above the swimming hole because it was still totally iced over and the shelves on the sides were like 4-5 ft glaciers collapsing into the water. From below Bear Creek to the campsites river left above the typewriter wave only be 4.5 miles of class II, but I don't see any other feasible option.
 
#10 ·
Thanks, guys -
My buddy walked Waterton today and said much of it is doable. We may do that Sunday.
If I don't hear from anybody who sees Parkdale tomorrow, I will drive down and look on Saturday.
A couple of us would be willing to go to the Race course on Sunday, but the weather forecast isn't so great for Taos.
 
#12 ·
This is the most ice I have seen since I have lived in the Ark valley. Still major ice shelves and with the recent warm weather it is breaking up and making ice dams. I have been watching this happening between Big Bend and Town. It is happening and changing daily with this warm weather. My advice scout your run first. Have fun be safe, and keep doing your snow dances.
 
#18 ·
We are planning to leave early tomorrow and head to the RC. Nice small little crew. It's going to snow for a few days, so I will let it soften back up a little more and hit the slopes again on Monday... Cheers to boating in the Southern Rockies in January!
 
#20 ·
I drove thru both Friday and Monday on Presidents Day weekend, there was still ice bridges on Friday but after two days of 60 degrees they were all gone on Monday. Don't know what the latest rounds of snow did but I'd think its probably still clear ......
 
#24 ·
I'm thinking Parkdale might be open.... or really close.

I drove down to Texas Creek on Monday for work and it looked like the river had been clear, but was in the process of icing back over. I saw 2 river-wide ice jams still. One was at the Loma Linda fishing access between Cotopaxi and Texas Creek. The other was at the swimming hole just above Rincon.
 
#28 ·
Boated BV to Johnson Village on Saturday and it was completely clear of ice except for Silver Bullet. The boat chute was frozen over still and the rapid on river left looked to be unrunnable because of a combination of low water and ice shelves.



Kayaked the Miracle Mile (Fractions) yesterday. For the most part it was clear, but we did have to make a couple of portages....one of which was probably 100 yards or more.



 
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