rafting gore creek

[thogan]

Looking to R2 the section of gore creek to intermountain park. I saw river boarders and a raft co. running it so I assume its good to go. Probably will take out before lower gore creek. Any heads up in that section(wood).

[WhiteLightning]

Don't know about wood in that section, but there are some hazardous pipe/strainers and stuff below Intermountain, if I understand correctly. I've thought about R2ing that too, or shreddering from E. Vail to Intermountain. I've only kayaked between upper E. Vail and the Village, never ran the lower. Timberline is the company that rafts GC, maybe one of their guys can chime in with some beta.

[randomnature]

A couple of weeks ago there was a 1/2 river wide log on the left side across from the Aria Tennis courts.

[cmike1]

Rode my road bike in that area on Monday and the pipe about 1/2 mile upstream from the confluence looked like it would be a real tight fit for a raft and I'll bet the water has come up since then. If you want to do the lower part, I'd scout the pipe and make sure you know where the eddy is.

[MtnGuyXC]

Sorry I have no info on upper Gore Creek But do not raft the lower unless you scout. There are two mandatory portages due to pipes entirely across the river more towards the end of the run. First one has very small eddies for a kayak let alone a raft & a very difficult portage on private property for a raft. It also can come up on you kinda quick as far as visiblity if you don't know right where it is. Second pipe obvious to see & can be run by a kayak depending on the level by leaning over & bracing or doing a roll underneath but a must portage with a raft

[ENDOMADNESS]

All pipes are in Intermountain proper. Just take out at Stephens Park. Which you would have to anyway...as there is no takeout from Stephens thru Dowd Chute. I used to live at the house right on the second sewer pipe.

About 10-12 years ago rafts used to do it a bunch...not anymore. They would catch a micro eddie let everyone off...then the guide would it the floor and the raft would barely make it under the second pipe (probably similar to todays flow 1000). There is no way a raft makes it under the first sewer pipe (but i never watched rafts run that one) as the water hits that pipe near 1000 cfs.

Rafting Gore looks fun...i would think the water needs to be 800 cfs +. I would think Gore peaks this weekend at 1200 cfs or so.

Have fun and take out at Stephens.

[MtnGuyXC]

Right On... Stephens Park...Good call... I never think about taking out early & not running the Dowd.

[thogan]

Ran gore creek 2 day in our 13ft hyside.r4 style. We put in at east vail and took out at cascade club. The river below the upper take out was burly and we had 1 swim. between vail village and cascade lodge was very fun but big. We couldnt scout a big section due to construction so we took out, Didnt want to lose anyone. The river was clean except for a river left log past cascade which is mostly under h20.any beta on the next 1/2 mile (at cascade path closure)we walked the rest and it looked good.

[ENDOMADNESS]

Nice work on the R4.

If you did the "water Treatment" rapid and the "Cascade Chute Rapid" (this is the one you may have portaged) then those are the 2 most difficult....they are separated by 200ft of flatwater. The rest should be clean (been a week or so since i've seen it). Typically the lower part of Water Treatment rapid and the Vail Library hold all the wood.

From Cascade down is a hoot. Just below Cascade, after the bridge is Tennis Court rapid...awesome boogie water for 1/2 mile. The only other major rapid is Stephens park chute. At this level it shoudl jsut be one major hole bottom leftish ("cheesegrater"). Before intermountain at the West Vail roundabout there will be a huge wave right under the bridge. Other than that its just fast boogie water.

[thogan]

we took out at the chairlift. It was gettin pretty hectic at 1000 cfs. The darn bike path has been closed so we cant scout. Dont want to be a statistic or lose gear or friends.