Crystal Gorge Question

Schizzle · 07-13-2004

What is the beta with running only the top of the Crystal Gorge? Is it hard to do just that section then hike out? Do you hike up or down? Trail or bushwack? Are all the drops in that section easily scoutable / portageable? How does it compare with other runs in Colorado?

Bryan Houle · 07-13-2004

i've never run it, but you should check out AW for some good beta:

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/rivers/id/1317/

badkins · 07-13-2004

You can do just the top, but it is only about about 1/2 mile long. Plan on not portaging, Pine Tree is a bitch to portage and it's the biggest rapid anyways so if you can run it you can run anything in the upper half. The portage around the lower gorge requires a bit of a scramble to get to an old grade, but once up there it is just a long walk to the bottom of the falls. The description in CRCII is good...