Rowing the Royal

[bshock]

What's the lowest anybody has rowed the royal gorge? I have 14' and 16' cataract. Any thoughts on levels for those size boats? I have access to a jacks cutthroat as well. I haven't run the gorge yet and would prefer to do it at a medium flow but want to do it next week regardless of low water.

[Rich]

I've been wondering the same for a 12' cat.
I've done 500 and it was fine, slow float in and out, but the drops all go.
Not sure about 350-400.

[DoubleYouEss]

Is there any camping down in there? I'm tentatively going to be bouncing down Browns next weekend in my Achilles, but if there is good camping options down that way I would totally head a little south.

[bshock]

Originally Posted by Rich

I've been wondering the same for a 12' cat.
I've done 500 and it was fine, slow float in and out, but the drops all go.
Not sure about 350-400.

What size boat were you in at 500? The 12'?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by bshock

What size boat were you in at 500? The 12'?

Yes, ran it at 500 in a 12' cat.

[ccombs]

Originally Posted by bshock

What's the lowest anybody has rowed the royal gorge? I have 14' and 16' cataract. Any thoughts on levels for those size boats? I have access to a jacks cutthroat as well. I haven't run the gorge yet and would prefer to do it at a medium flow but want to do it next week regardless of low water.

I have run it as low as 220 cfs back in 2002 in a 12 ft boat and remember having issues at the bottom of sledge hammer and in boat eater and the paddle out. At flows under 400cfs boats 12ft or smaller are optimal. I have rowed it this year in my 13ft raft at 350 cfs and it was tight but doable. The cuttthroat would definatly work and the 14 ft cat will be real tight at flows under 500 and could have issues under 400. Just depends on what abuse you are willing to put your boat through.

[bshock]

Ccombs

Thanks for info. Where is the metal in the run? I haven't run it yet and have always heard about the scrap metal from railroad being a hazard to your boat. My 14 foot cat is similar to the super cutthroat from jacks. I would like to row it. Any guess on the flows next week or so ? Thanks again

[ccombs]

There is a little bit of metal on the left where the old dam was 1/4 mile above sunshine easy to miss. The majority of the metal is in the narrows in the form of I beams on the left and old hoops from the water pipe that have dropped into the river on the right. Just stay in the middle and you will be fine. There is a boat ripping I beam on river left in the last drop of the narrows just before the fishbowl where the hanging bridge for the train starts. The right side is too shallow to run so you have to run left and move right quick at the bottom of the drop before the last wave. If your boat is a narrow 14 fter you will probably fit through everything most of the moves are tight with short timing windows for strokes. For flows who knows probably the same as now unless there is rain and there is none forcasted.

[lmyers]

From the low water Gorge veteran himself:

Originally Posted by salsasean

I have commercially rowed a 13 foot hyside down RG at 212 cfs. It goes and is fun if you are open to a low water run in a cool place.

How Low will you go: Numbers / Royal Gorge