Clear Creek closure

Swim team capt. · 06-09-2006

Clear Creek from tunnel 1 to the play park is being closed as I type this.

There is a >NEW< RIVER WIDE STRAINER.
It is not the tree most people think of.
The Rangers are making the signs right now.

Be Safe out there its big everywhere.

Don · 06-09-2006

This is not the tree that hangs into the current on river right, it's up stream about 50 yards. There's a small micro eddy on river right and that's about it. The river will be closed for several weeks (from tunnel one to the WW park). The tree is massive and will only become more DANGEROUS as the level drops. Be careful this makes the easiest section of Clear Creek the most potentionally deadly. Be Safe and tell everyone you see at the park. The newbys, tubers, and float crews will not be reading this site - so get the word out.

-Don @ CK

KSC · 06-09-2006

There are two big strips of yellow tape across the entire river above the tree, so you won't accidently float into it. Does look like you can eddy out right above it and walk around, but first time through you ought to take out early and look for yourself. The gauging station is right below the tree, so there are some convenient stairs on river left to walk back down to the river.

benpetri · 06-09-2006

We ran this section yesterday, and there is some yellow caution tape across the river warning people not to go further. There are however several micro eddys on the left , including one last ditch one right in front of the strainer allowing for an okay portage on the left. Definately a gaper drowning machine though.

P.S. does anyone know anything about the river guage immediately below the strainer? I don't think that's the one the that reports flows for golden, but the strainer is close enough to it that it could screw with the guage reading. It definately slows the current down above the guage.

KUpolo · 06-09-2006

Can't you put in below the tree for a quick float down to the park or is that closed too??

KUpolo · 06-11-2006

I talked to a ranger today at Clear Creek and he said it is no problem for kayakers wishing to put in below the tree. The closure is predominately to keep tubers from killing themselves.

It also looks like someone has cut a bit off the tree and created a passage on river right. The big limb they cut off floated down and got itself stuck on the island above the diversion dam. It didn't look like it was creating a problem at this point but if it gets moved right at all it is going to create another bad strainer.