Welcome to Mountain Buzz, the ultimate paddlers community. You are currently viewing our site as a guest which gives you limited access to most of our features. By joining our community (it's FREE) you will have access to post topics, send Private Messages (PM), respond to polls, upload content, connect with other paddlers and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free.
I just finished reading about Lucero's 118fter and started to realize that there aren't really any huge (runnable) drops in colorado. There's stupid falls on the east (60ft?) and Zoot Shoot (40?). What else is big? Anyone know of the level to run Stupid? I'm not that stupid, but it's fun to talk about before the season.
We took a look at a couple of 50+ footers this last season. One was in the middle of a couple of treacherous (multiple move) 30'ers in the gorge below the CRC write up of South Mineral Creek. I guess it has been run.
Also we did a 1st decent of Falls Creek (drainage into Vallecito on hike). There was at least a 50'er in there. We didn't run it. It was tough to tell how deep the landing was. I'vd been off Zute and this looked a lot bigger. Might be 60'. That Wayne Chorter guy has some pics of it on his web site. not sure the link.
We took a look at a couple of 50+ footers this last season. One was in the middle of a couple of treacherous (multiple move) 30'ers in the gorge below the CRC write up of South Mineral Creek. I guess it has been run.
.
Yup, my friend Josh ran that last 30'er on South Mineral last summer (i'd guess this was not the first time it's been dropped). This is the one last bug drop above the campground I think. We ran most of the sketchy little drops leading up to it, through the meadow, as well. Got some decent pics too. So beautiful back in there. There are several nice, runnable biguns near Pagosa Spgs too, that someone has cleaned out but we didn't jump on those.
Yule. Unlike most of the big CO drops the main (bottom 4) drops are surprisingly easy to run. You just line up and go, a lot like the obj stuff. Consequences are big though, but it is a quality run that I am surprised isn't run more often.
Upper Yule also has a huge drop that I have looked at from the road. Access looks sketch, and I heard that some guys looked at it and there was a log in the landing.
Brent Toepper ran the big one on upper south fork crystal. I remember the video from a few years back.
There is a massive vert on the south side of the pass from Copper mtn to Leadville. I don't think the landing would be good to go unless it was at full on flood though. Even then it might not be possible.
Colorado's rock just isn't made for big drops. I can count numerous 10 footers in CO that are harder than most 50's that I have seen else where. The mank in this state makes for some very skilled creek boaters, whereas the skill needed to run big drops in other states is much less. Personally, I feel that it is usually easier to run a straight 50 footer than it is to run a quadrouple step 30 footer. If you want to run big drops then learn the skills here in CO, and then travel out of state to run the big verts. Just pack your balls in your gear bag.
"easy to run" is relative terms. maybe "easy" once you get over the feeling of having lower intestine tangled up with your adam's apple when you actually have your first (or tenth) visual on the bottom four. plus number 3 is more "pray, line up, and pray as you go" than "line up and go".
my guess is that the bottom 4 is the biggest totally clean section of water in colorado ... but that's just my guess, and is only considering what's currently being run .... and the reason that it's not run more often has everything to do with commiting to the bottom 4 & the sketchy private land access issues -- you know, attack dogs, shotguns and whatnot ...
that said, i'm looking forward to this year's runs on yule.
here's a cool quote from jeff galbraith that has nothing to do with this topic: "baseball is the new punk sport for kids who don't care what their jock skateboarder friends say"
TG, I agree. I was thinking that someone would respond to this after I posted. Like you said though,
Quote:
my guess is that the bottom 4 is the biggest totally clean section of water in colorado ... but that's just my guess, and is only considering what's currently being run .... and the reason that it's not run more often has everything to do with commiting to the bottom 4
Granted there are only a select few boaters in CO that have the skill (no room for error), are willing, or want to run those bottom drops. The drops are very very scary, and the consequences can be huge and are real because of the lack of control at the speed you drop. Still, for those that are very solid class V or V+ boaters and are willing to take the risk of running those big of drops the bottom 4 of Yule are the best of the big that CO has to offer... in my opinion.
I want to go back in there with you TG. That day may have been the highlight of last season. That place was amazing, and I was stoked to be with the crew that we had in there. Talk to you soon...
The bottom 4 drop are actually more like three drops. The first one is about a 30 foot vert into a small pool, then immediately into a 40-50 foot (vert drop) slide that leads you into a cliff wall. You have to turn side ways and bank off the cliff wall with the bottom of your boat. You cannot stop in the middle of the two drops. If you screw up the first one, you have to self recover before the slide. It is impossible to set safety so the first person that goes has to clean the drop. There is a huge pool at the end of the slide after the wall check.
The third drop is a big almost two tiered slide. It drops about 80 feet total. Most of us actually bounced off a rock in the center. I hit the bottom pool with so much speed that it tore my foam helmit liner. I had to undo my chin strap in the bottom pool because it was choking me. Again, first person has zero safety at the bottom.
The last drop is a wierd 20 footer. Good to go, kind of the celebration icing on the cake.
There are numerous good drops up stream, but access in and out is difficult due to landowners.
Kyle
Isn't there video of you guys running Yule last summer? And if I'm correct isn't ithis footage coming out in the new LVM? I saw the preview this winter in Salida. It was awesome footage. Can't wait to see it again if its coming out in the upcoming LVM...its about to hit a kayak store near you. Good to see some CO boaters representin'
Linear Mode
