Questions about late summer Colorado boating

[Thinkrain]

Hi there. I'm thinking about doing a trip to Colorado this summer (coming from MD so i dont know much about boating out there).

We were hoping to visit some good friends (boaters) and run whatever we could. Turns out they are not available May-July. They could do August. Bummer. Unfortunatley we don't have enough time off from work to do multiple trips this year so going twice isn't really an option.

So my question is... what are the chances of anything running in August? What might we expect to be able to do? It doesn't have to be anything super spectacular. If we could just get one or two runs in on something pretty that would be good and we could plan the rest of our trip around other activities and go back again for a real boating trip next year. We're looking for anything class III-IV and V- (or walkable V's)

Any thoughts or advice appreciated!

[DanOrion]

Near Denver:

North Fork South Platte (NFSP)
Baily: IV/V (from what I hear, no fun at all)
Foxton: III (great at higher water 400+cfs, beautiful scenery)

South Platte
Waterton Canyon: III+/IV (short but sweet)

These runs are served by the Roberts Tunnel, which can drop a few hundered cfs into the NFSP at Grant, Colorado. Often release schedules are posted on mtn buzz.

Arkansas:
Royal Gorge: III/III+
Numbers/Fractions/Browns: When do the reservoir releases stop? Mid Aug?

Hope that helps!

[sj]

What dan said plus. There could still be natural stuff left and the possibility of evrything below Dillon(Upper and Lower Blue, Gore) res running is pretty good this year

[DanOrion]

Oh yeah, if you find yourself on Waterton or Foxton, take a trash bag, n' be a do gooder by picking up some of the picnicer trash while you enjoy a post-boating brew. There's trash cans, but they don't get enough use, which has lead to an impressive army of river side biting red ants. Cheers!

[badkins]

The Gore IV/V is usually running at prime levels in august.

http://americanwhitewater.org/rivers/id/378

[gh]

I think the Ark has water till August 15th.

[Id725]

Royal Gorge on the Ark has ample water into November. After the releases stop in mid-August, the stuff upstream (Numbers, Pine Creek, etc.) is pretty much done, but Royal Gorge is sweet at 300 cfs (much more difficult than it is at, say, 1,000).
8-9 miles of class 3 with one good class 4 at 300 cfs. Stellar, deep, sheer-walled canyon.

[LSB]

There is always Westwater
Not exactly CO but pretty fun

[WhiteLightning]

Shoshone will be still going good if you are more in the west. Nothing spectacular, but lots of fun. If we have a cool spring and summer, you might have a lot of stuff running late season. They do Labor Day releases on the Upper Blue N. of Lake Dillon. If you can get on a Westwater trip, it is loads of fun, and you get the wilderness canyon experience, if only for 2 days.

[El Flaco]

Also check the flows for the Gunni Gorge - there are sometimes boatable flows in August. Anything above 600cfs is worth the trip for the scenery alone.