Upper Colorado IDIOT 09

[jwelch]

Hi Folks,

This is a multi purpose post, Jack From Confluence Casting suggested I post and inform readers that there is a raft wrapped around one of the road bridge piers at twin bridges on the upper Ccolorado. If you are set up correctly (as I was not) you should be able to avoid the hazard. Some gear has left the boat and some of it is not marked. Of prime interest is my passengers day bag, a small blue dry bag with a digital camera and his wallet. Also as of yet unrecovered are a small purple dry bag (probably on the bottom) and a Coleman 150 cooler that is possibly marked Edge and may or may not have a phone number on it. If you want to taunt me or if you find some of the gear please contact at (970) 261-0537 or jeff-welch@msn.com

Thanx
Boat Safely
Jeff

[Tiggy]

You will definitely get taunted before you get your gear back.
Good Luck finding your stuff.

[Toni]

Glad you're ok and good luck recovering your gear. Be sure to post when your boat status changes...

We're adding this stretch to a family trip this weekend, have you run it before successfully or was this a first time? Any tricky part above or were you just asleep at the wheel?

[sj]

2 of my 3 flips over the last 30 years have been brain dead stpuidity. Don't let it effect your love of the sport and good luck with the recovery. sj

[lmaciag]

We were camping downstream of the incident this weekend and you or someone with you talked to people in our group. We never saw anything float by. Just wanted to let you know.

Good luck.

[Snowhere]

Good luck Jeff. That spot is all private land so a rescue effort may be tough to pull off.

Laurie, were you camping there Monday? I passed through in my Hyside with my 6yr old and we had a duckie with us. We saw a group camping below the twin bridges. We were heading to Catamount for our take out. All in all a good level for the little ones.

Glenn

[lmaciag]

We had a big group in the most downstream site at Lyons Gulch. Not very familiar with that area though as were were using it as a base for kayaking the Roaring Fork. From looking at a map, I think we were fairly downstream from there. You couldn't miss us from the road driving out though...

Regardless, hope you had a great weekend! We did despite the rain!

[Snowhere]

We had a great time! It only rained on us on the river maybe 10 minutes on Sunday and Monday. I had a giant rainbow umbrella on the raft that I had for shade but it did a great job at keeping both me at the oars dry and more important Keegan warm and dry on the cooler. The 10 minutes of rain on Sunday was a total downpour.

Being an vet of multiple summers in Alaska, I had tarped off a large area at our camps for our tent and gear. I like packing up dry gear in the mornings if I can help it!

[raft3plus]

When we unrolled and setup our boats at Shoshone putin on Sunday morning, some passerbys on bikes from below told us about an amazing yardsale they had witnessed on Saturday, including "a whole backpack!!", cooler, etc.. Thought nothing of it, other than of my girlfriend was on an Upper C/little Gore trip for six days and nights. Wondered how that whole show had gone down and not talked to her to hear how it went.

Wouldn't you know it, up on the flat concrete part of the putin landing lapps a little blue pelican case with a camera having pictures of an upperC/littleGore trip. Silent Jay and I were laughing at first and then thinking what a bummer to lose your gear. When looking at the pictures zoomed in my girlfriend was on there riding on a boat as she usually does. The waterwheel.. and all that.

Come home to find out jeff-boy had a yardsale while trying to setup with what my girlfriend deemed a "FANCY" move; She is an experienced rider (who gives me advice too, you know!) sitting in the boat directly behind them. She is able to read water, differentiate moves that work and ones that don't after years of punishment with me and others on the river.

Now, I don't have a problem with you yardsaling your shit. Endangering other people's lives with IDIOT moves like that are not worth it. Everyone else chose to ride down the middle of the two bridges through a NICE OPEN SLOT; Why would anyone do this?

Mister "FANCY pants" needed to get impressive in an area of danger, it was told by multiple sources. No one else chose your route. Your friend and passenger hurt his hand badly. None of you were wearing thermal protection. Thankfully only a bumpy swim. Is it ok to call you a dumbass now?

When asked what you were doing to remedy the situation, your response was to head to town for coffee and an egg mcmuffin. Way to step down after stepping it up a couple notches. What an impression you left with everyone on your trip.

Oh, gear, yeeeah.... about that. I'm keeping the light blue pelican case. WTF. If your busted off camera box made it to Shoshone in 48 hours, you have a slim chance of getting it back. I gave the camera to Peggy; she is trying to get it back to you.

That's enough of a beating and I'm done roasting you now. Glad my girlfriend was not on your boat. Sorry, but you had this browbeating coming. Better luck boating next time.

[Canada]

Kinda harsh on a guy who just lost his boat! Man do we eat our own.