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State Bridge to Cata

5K views 21 replies 15 participants last post by  caverdan 
#1 ·
Anyone have any info on this run? At these flows is this a good stretch for beginner and how is the fishing? Any rapids to negotiate?

Ted
 
#7 ·
Ran this run a while back when the water was at 4500 or so! Still had a great fishing along the banks. There were some fun little wave trains but now that the water is down I am sure they are pretty much gone!
I bet there will be a lot of flat water....

One cool thing to check out is there is a really cool house river right - I think it is down from McCoy - but if you look right across from the house - river left there is a Bald Eagle nest. The last time we ran that we could see the male and the female overlooking and the little ones were flapping their wings trying to fly. Very cool stuff!

Catamount has a couple of trees and makes for a good camping spot after a good long float like that.

Enjoy!

C
 
#8 ·
Ran this run a while back when the water was at 4500 or so! Still had a great fishing along the banks. There were some fun little wave trains but now that the water is down I am sure they are pretty much gone!
I bet there will be a lot of flat water....

One cool thing to check out is there is a really cool house river right - I think it is down from McCoy - but if you look right across from the house - river left there is a Bald Eagle nest. The last time we ran that we could see the male and the female overlooking and the little ones were flapping their wings trying to fly. Very cool stuff!

Catamount has a couple of trees and makes for a good camping spot after a good long float like that.

Enjoy!

Is there good camping at halfway or at Cottonwood bend?
 
#9 ·
Great fishing and a great booze cruise float...not sure what it looks like at these lower flows (last time I was there it was at least 3,500) but I can't imagine more than a few exposed rocks in the wave trains that were mentioned above...this section has very deep channels..

Note : Hitchhiking from Cat back up to SB or RDR, Radium, and Pumphouse after 6pm is REALLY TOUGH...Learned this the HARD WAY.
 
#11 ·
Important to note that this weekend is the "YarmonyGrass" festival at Rancho. Full schedule of bands all weekend. Some very good bluegrass players lined up if that floats your boat. It is likely to be crowded camping in the area and getting boats in and out of Rancho may be a cluster. State Bridge to Catamount is probably a better idea than Pump to Rancho this weekend. Cat and down has some nice stretches as well.

As I'm typing this I'm realizing it may be a good idea to start a new thread with this. Think I'll do that.
 
#12 ·
Avoid State Bridge Landing, their fees are to high and their vibe is strange (in a bad way). Instead use Rancho Del Rio, you'll have some money left over from your put-in fees for some bbq at KK's. There are also a few splashy rapids on the way to S.B. and the extra milage may allow you to camp near windy point which has several excellent camps.
 
#16 ·
Anyone have any info on this run? At these flows is this a good stretch for beginner and how is the fishing? Any rapids to negotiate?

Ted

State Bridge:
A mile and a half later is the State Bridge landings. The boat ramp on river left is privately owned and expensive. The fee here is $2.50 per person. It is the only take/put available for rafts. On river right is the State Bridge Lodge landing. It can be used by kayaks, duckies, or very small rafts and it is free. Unfortunately the Lodge burned to the ground in the spring of 2007.


Bond/Burns section:
This 20 mile section of river is mostly flat, but it has its merits as well; there is decent current through most of the section, the fishing is incredible, and the heavy traffic of the Pumphouse/State Bridge run disappears. On this section, it is possible to have the river to yourself.

Windy Point:
For about a mile below State Bridge is the Windy Point section. A road follows the river on river left. It is a hot spot for locals and yocals alike. Just past the road’s end are two moderate class II rapids and then the river flattens out for 16 miles.

Twin Pines:
Just before the town of Bond and right across the river from a Railroad switch station is the Twin Pines Site. It is undeveloped and requires a groover. The down side to this site is the rail station and the noise. The up-side is the site’s beach, great side hikes, awesome fishing and it’s the last public camp site for almost seven miles. This site is in the middle of Mountain Lion country. Lion prints and kills can be found up the wash. At night it is common to hear the animals howling (making the creepy baby sound) from the hills.

The Islands:
A mile below Twin Pines is the Island Section. It is braided section of river that flows through private property. Large gear boats can get horrifically stuck if the guide takes the wrong braid. The fishing here is fantastic, and it should be; the private land is a world-class fishing ranch.

Two Bridges:
In the middle of the island section there is a road bridge and a railroad trestle. The trestle is low and at high water (approx 6,000 cfs in Kremmling) it becomes a mandatory portage.

Catamount Section:
Below the Island section, the river flows back into public land. Bald eagles, mule deer, herons, and coyotes are commonly seen on shore. Several camps are found on river left. Stay away from any camps that have cows nearby since they attract biting flies. Many of the camps are used by Mule Deer hunters in the fall, and it’s easy to see why. Shed elk and deer antlers can be found in the sage brush. There are no developed sites and the train track is much further from the river than at other sites. Once again, this is lion country, so keep any small children close especially at night. All washes are great hikes. This is the most desolate part of the river from Kremmling to Grand Junction and the fishing is unbelievable.

Catamount Bridge:
Twenty miles below State Bridge is Catamount Bridge. It is a well developed take/put with toilets and a picnic area. The boat ramp is a few hundred feet below the bridge.

Catamount Canyon:
Below Catamount Bridge is a four mile long canyon with the railroad on river left and no roads. The beginning of this section has a small class III rapid scoutable from river right. Other small class II rapids can be found in the canyon. There are some fantastic camp sites on the river right side.

Burns:
After Catamount canyon the river flattens out in the small town of Burns. Don’t expect any stores/beer/gas in Burns. There is a small take/put on the river right side just past the bridge but it is usually muddy.

Derby Junction Rapid:
Below Burns the river looses all its current. A mile later the cause of the flat water becomes apparent. Derby Junction Rapid (Rodeo Rapid*) was formed by a large landslide from river right about 30 years ago. The class III-IV rapid is the most significant rapid from Pumphouse to Barrel Springs. The rapid has a large, sticky hole in the middle of it that can surf and flip a fully loaded gear boat. The best scout is on river right. The easiest line is on river left side of the hole. At the bottom of the rapid on river left is a small pour over that is a great place for aspiring kayakers to practice cartwheels.
*The rapid earned the name Rodeo Rapid after Team Wave Sport used it as a freestyle hole. Unfortunately the rock shifted in 1998 to change the hole from playable to scary and no rodeos have been held there since.

Derby Junction:
Below the Derby Junction rapid is the small community of Derby Junction. Once again, don’t expect any services at Derby Junction. There is a large grassy area on river right adjacent to the take out. Landing fees have varied between free, $1 per person and “you got any beer?”
 
#18 ·
State Bridge:

Twin Pines:
Just before the town of Bond and right across the river from a Railroad switch station is the Twin Pines Site. It is undeveloped and requires a groover. The down side to this site is the rail station and the noise. The up-side is the site’s beach, great side hikes, awesome fishing and it’s the last public camp site for almost seven miles. This site is in the middle of Mountain Lion country. Lion prints and kills can be found up the wash. At night it is common to hear the animals howling (making the creepy baby sound) from the hills.

wow... i camped there last saturday night, and one of my dogs came out of the brush with a deer hoof at one point, and i had to assure my girlfriend that no predatory animals or satan worshipers were gonna get us before morning.

do mtn lions attack people much? seems like most of the mtnlion attacks i hear about are near the front range more than up in the hills.
 
#17 ·
I ran Rancho to Catamount last weekend. Frigging Long Day!!!!, seven hours at the oars,ugghh. Nothing really serious, couple of class II wave trains, afternoon upstream wind can suck. There is a good boat launch immediately downstream the catamount bridge on river left.
 
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