Thinking of taking a few inexperienced friends down the upper C on Thursday afternoon in my rmr storm. Highest I’ve done it is 3900cfs. The left rock on needles eye was still exposed at that flow. What’s it gonna be like Thursday at higher flows?
How long is it going to take to run pump to radium and radium to rancho? Thinking we’ll just camp at rancho, so I’m trying to figure out if I should do the whole run from pump or start at radium. May not get started until 4pm.
Pumphouse to Radium 1 1/2 hours, Radiun to Rancho 4 1/2 hours. If you run Pumphouse to Rancho leaving at 4:00 expect to arrive at Rancho around 9:30. If you run from Radium to Rancho expect to arrive at Rancho around 8:30. On Thursday afternoon expect some light over cast skies and some rain showers, from looking at current satellite map, starting around 5:00 to 6:00 which will generate a nice down river wind, which will be nice, and also cool the temperature down a little bit. I know it's a little bit vague, but the best I could do. The water may be a little
higher than normal but not much faster, just the way it is on that part of the river. Have a good afternoon trip.
if it takes you 4.5 hrs to get from radium to rancho at 4500 cfs you better be spending half the time back rowing up river in a sustained 30 mph up river gusty...and/or fishing
bitching aside, the needles eye rock will look mostly covered, so maintain a dedicated line either left or right. if left, watch out for wall on left after passing rock. if right watch for small hole just below rock on right. Yarmony turns into a huge pour over magnetic hole at this level. It is easily navigable if you know how to row medium sized water but still stay on your toes through the whole rapid all the way passed boneyard. Once you start seeing benches campsites on your left feel free to relax and enjoy the rest of your float.
At this level the lakes below yarmony have a nice current which is great for shipping the oars, cracking a brew and enjoying nature.
Rancho has $10 per person camping or go for the newly renovated cabins overlooking the water with bathrooms, kitchens and sleeping for 6.
I find it hard to make bold predictions about what time its going to rain on any certain day especially 3 days out, but weather for thursday looks good to me (just based of weather channel app for Bond, I don't know how to read a satellite map for more than 25 minutes out when Im trying to get 9 holes of evening golf in). Id say overall, if you have the skills to row at that level, you should be great on time and fine on weather. Stay safe. Make smart decisions. Get to Rancho whole. Enjoy
RichardJames is correct, make that 3 1/2 hours from Radium to Rancho. You call that bitching, I call that a friendly correction.....Now your river running instructions sucks, that's bitching.
Thanks guys. Much appreciated. I’ve never not fished this section so I didn’t really know what kind of time it takes without stopping. Will probably do a short run from radium to rancho. We’ll be paddle boating this stretch, not rowing. I think we’ll have plenty of power in the little storm with 4 people to get the boat where it needs to go at Yarmony. Watched a couple high water runs on YouTube and I’ll just scout it before running. That hole looks bitey.
Anyone know what time rancho runs shuttles till? Nobody answers when I call.
please explain which part of river running instruction sucks.
shuttles run 10-5 everyday. if no one answers, leave voicemail with info for shuttle (where car is to be picked up, where car is to be dropped off, where the money will be, where the keys will be, make/model/color of vehicle). or stop in to rancho on way to radium and sign up in person.
be careful in a paddle rig thru Yarmony. if you are only experienced boater and you have only "inexperienced" paddlers for your propulsion id be a little nervous at this level. maybe think about launching from rancho and floating to st bridge (4miles) or two bridges (8miles) and get everyone some water time before tackling the largest rapid on the section...personal opinion. The waves of pyrite and cable can be really funny in a smaller RMR storm at these levels. plus there is current for nearly this entire below rancho section. If you launch at radium, you got a big chunk of flat'ish water before yarmony. then you gotta get get tied up, scout, and be nervous through a rapid you will hopefully navigate properly. then you gotta paddle through the lakes... Or you could launch at rancho and have a really nice afternoon crushing waves trains every mile or so
Saturday we ran pump house to state bridge with a short stop for lunch in four hours. The river has come down a little, but it is still running fast. A friend put it this way "It’s going by our place like a horse with its tail on fire!!!" The rock was covered.
Ok. But, I'm still sticking with my rain showers around 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm and don't forget to moon the Amtrak train when it goes by. The advice from all the gentleman's post's above are all good. Be safe and have a nice river trip, it's a fun stretch of river. When the water level drops the fishing is excellent too.
Ran Rancho to Two Bridges Sunday.... River was at 5200 CFS and trucking at 6.5 - 7-5 mph with a slight headwind. That stretch was choppy, pushy and fun!
We will probably be doing that stretch again on Thursday as well.... If you are down that way look for the lone guy with a bunch (5) of 50ish something college gals sipping white wine and eating bon bons!
Ok fiiiiiine I won’t take these jabronis through Yarnony. I don’t remember it being challenging at 3900cfs, but maybe I was drunk. We’ll be doing rancho to two bridges and then go back and camp at ranch.
Will keep my eyes peeled for some bon bon babes slappin’ the old wine bag.
I think this beta is flawed. Yes there'sa big wave, but you can easily miss it. Other than running the Y at over 10k I can't remember it being anything other than an easy 3. But like you said you have some jabronies, so I get that concern, for sure!
Na Beta is good. Good to let others know the lower section can be more fun than just “skirting” yarmony. Paddling a small craft with 3 friends rancho to two bridges is the right call
Fuck it I'm taking the jabronis right into the Yarmony hole. Sink or swim, literally, jabronis.
But seriously, I'm not worried about Yarmony. I've paddled some newbies down Numbers and Browns at high water and we did fine. Not entirely sure why folks are worried that a paddle boat is less capable than an oar rig, I feel it's the other way around. But I'm glad that I had the reminder about flat water. I've never not fished on the upper C, and forgot how boring that can be if you're not casting. Rancho to two bridges it is, I love the little braids and the scenery is still pretty good. Thanks all.
This is the beginning of an epic fishing weekend on the Gunnison. Got a Red Rock Canyon Trail permit, hiking down and fishing Fri-Sun after we do the C today.
I just ran that stretch, no problem in the Needles. Give the hole at Yarmony a wide berth,
I always go right to avoid problems with the wall at left. Fast trip at this flow! If you can make it last over 2.5 hours, good on ya.
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