browns canyon new to me

[ccraft.fish]

Experienced rafter [ just returned from middle fork salmon at 6ft] looking to run browns canyon first time on june 28th. Planning to just follow the comercials. Any suggested lines or help? Thanks.

[highspeed]

If you are a comfortable class III/IV boater it is total read and run.

If you are looking for some more specifics:

If sneaking canyon doors is desired, stay right.

Back paddle/slow down in pinball

Start just left of center in Zoom and work to just right of center

watch out for hemhroid rock

Stay just off the the left bank at big drop to sneak, watch the guide ejector

Stay slightly "Left" in #3 , 5, and 7 (not a big deal)

Go slow in widowmaker, watch out for toilet bowl in the lows 1000s, can flip rafts.

stay left of the big rock and then stay left in widowmaker, watchout for dickme rocks

Start right, go left and above "raftripper" rock


Start left drive right in seidells

Stay center in twin falls, or go left to go big, watch the guide ejector.

Sorry for long post

Do the numbers, more fun


Edited to correct need to stay left in 3,4, and 5 not right as pointed out in the next post

[Steve Zizzou]

Ran it twice this weekend. One on a commercial rafting trip and one kayaking. All is well if you are up for class III rapids. The first post was right on accept I would start center/left on #5 in the staircase (4th rapid in right after big drop). THere are some shit rocks right in the middle of it. The suck hole has a large guard rock on the right-center of the rapid so right ferry angle left to right move. One large latteral wave and scoot around the right side of the suckhole. Twin falls is really munchy right now, so, if you don't mind the superman effect rock it left center. Stone bridge on the way to Salida is the next public take out past hecla junctions..... allows for you to hit the last two hits w/ crap float water at the end for about 4 miles. Enjoy!

"Those fucking amateurs. You left your dog, you idiots!" -Steve Zissou

[Steve Kahn]

hey - you guys forgot the following:

move left at cock swipe
duck under eat me bridge
go way left at suck this
make sure to check out lizzard rock, paper clip, photo alley, buzz eater, keyboard, duck's feat, mouse man, hermans hideaway, and beer drinker.

j/k - i just enjoy all the names of the features on the commercial trips.

how will a first timer know what's what anyways? i guess you could become a browns master and spend many moons memorizing the name of each rock/rapid/beach/cloud/etc....

[COTransplant]

Slow in Pinball is good...back around the large "flipper rocks" at the bottom...they call them flippers for a reason.

Definitely start left of center for Zoom Flume...it will bounce you over to the right...and watch out for Pinnacle rock center at the bottom, past the photographer...and it's a bit bumpy below there too if you don't get back to the center.

If you don't feel like getting launched at Big Drop, be sure line up close to the left bank...get too much of the meat and you'll be the next Superman for sure.

The shit rocks in #5 of the Staircase are definitely sticking out now, so there's a slot that you can see...just be fairly far left and you'll be fine.

After Raft Ripper is the boneyard...at the bottom right is Tombstone rock...miss it or hit it straight on.

Seidels is marked with a "Dip" sign along the railroad tracks on the left bank. There's a beach just upriver of that where you can park and hike up the trail to scout if you'd like to get a look at it. It's a pretty easy run these days...a nice 2:00 angle...scoot past the guard rocks, through the lateral wave and then down a slot, just next to the hole.

Again, if you don't feel like getting launched by the time you get to Twin Falls, you can slip down the right side. If you hit the falls center, you're likely to swim, and your crew may end up in a dog pile in your boat...if you're lucky. The left line gives quite a pop these days too, and if you nick the bank and spin, you could flip pretty easy.

[JBL]

Lot's of good info from folks who are familiar with Brown's.

Now some from someone who's only rowed it once at 1000 cfs.

If you just rowed the MFS at 6ft, you'll have no trouble. At this level, it's all read/run class III/III+ with only Flume approaching class IV-ish. As I recall, it had a sizable hole mid way through the rapid. Square up and punch it.

Didn't scout anything and had a blast.

Smile for the photographers...

[rivermanryan]

I have done Brown's many times as a kayaker, but this weekend I am going to run it in a raft for the first time. Mostly taking family down so they can hoot and holler. Anyway, in order to have babysitters for the young ones, I am going to take half the group in the morning and turn around to take the rest in the afternoon. My question is: how long does it take to run Brown's in a raft? I play so much in my kayak it takes all day!
I would think that I could do it in about 4 hours without a problem, so I will be able to get two runs in.

Also, I forget what the deal is with the Ruby Mountain put-in. It is private launch only or kayak launch only?

[JBL]

Assuming you don't have any mishaps on the river, you should be able to do Brown's twice in a day with no problem. I think we did it in about 3 hrs and that included a lunch stop.

I'm pretty sure that Ruby is a public put-in but you'll have to pay the daily state park fee to put in there.

http://parks.state.co.us/default.asp...96&action=park

[Sam F]

The play in a Kayak takes all day, but you can definitely run it twice in a family style assault.

I'll be down there with two boats on Sunday (Family Style.)

The biggest challenge is missing the commercial bubble. If you take out at Hecla, it can be interesting dealing with the companies as a private boater. Just move fast and land downstream.

Ruby makes it more doable because you will lose about a mile of flat water. There is a $2.00 a head permit fee just like always, keep it on you, the rangers might look for it since its a busy weekend.

From Ruby at 950 I'll bet 3.5 hours.

Sam

[justaraftin]

I have been down Browns every weekend this summer so far in my 16' cat.

Now that the water is so low the trip from Ruby to Stone Bridge took almost six hours last saturday. Thats with some scouting, a 30-45 minute lunch, and a constant upstream wind all day. If i were trying to get two trips in, in one day, i would consider getting on the water by 9 or 10 and only run to Hecla each time. Even though you get two good rapids from Hecla to Stone Bridge the extra 4 miles of splashy water is a pain if the wind is blowing.

Also Ruby Mountain is the place to go for private boaters. No commercials (except an occasional fishing trip pulling out). It can get crowded from 10-12 so get yer boat in early.

As the rangers are checking for day passes pretty regularly now so make sure you spend the 2 bucks per person.

Have fun!