[dvc]

Just wondering, is it better to paddle Confluence at 900 to 1000 and up or paddle Clear Creek at 125? On one hand, you've got your skank factor but lots of water thrashing around and mildly cool water temps and on the other hand you've got wonderful brisk snow melt runoff but not a real lot happening
in the features. Personally, although I've hit a couple of animal carcasses and one or two tampoons and an aquatic rodent or two, I've never had so much as an earache from Confluence. Whoa, maybe I'm some kind of superhuman or something. No that wouldn't explain my crappy paddling skills. Maybe it's the Kashi and soy milk.

 

[Caspian]

Well, usually I'd say go to Confluence at 900-1000. That is a killer level for the skatepark wave (20th St). The ferry is easy and you can spin left and right all day -- REAL flat spins on a wave, not in a hole. Spins where you have to keep the hull flat or you carve off the wave, but when you do keep it flat, smoove like buttah.

But today, I was in Golden and had the boat, so I thought, why not. As for play, the best was on eddylines. But I had good workout running slalom gates in my playboat. Slalom is great for getting strong for the upcoming season, and teaches you a lot more about the boat than freestyle, IMO. So it was a good day there, even at 125. I may take the creeker up there for some slalom workouts in the future. But for play, at the levels they were at today, there's no comparison, 20th Street wave wins out easy.

 

[Seadog]

Personally, i think there's more to do on Golden PP at low levels. i went by Connie yesterday briefly and except for the trestle wave, everything else is pretty much washed out. on the bright side, the high flows seemed to bring the water quality to an acceptable state,,,didn't reek as much as usual.

 

[Caspian]

The 20th Street wave was defintely not washed out at yesterday's levels, unless the gauge is off.

 

[J]

Is the 20th street wave the one where they just built that foot bridge? I thought they messed that up when they built the bridge? Or is it lower on down? I haven't boated connie in a couple years, but got that itch....

 

[cstork]

Yea, Confluence is washed out, except for the Trestle wave.

The place to go is Union Ave. on the S Platte. Good waves.
It's in CRC2.

 

[Caspian]

The 20th Street Wave is below the new footbridge. That footbridge was the site of the 16th Street wave until a few years ago, it was a nice low water spot.

The 20th Street wave -- right next to the skatepark on the river, right between the overpass for 20th St & I-25 and the two bridges that go from Platte Street to Little Raven Street. And at these levels this wave is not washed out, it is at it's BEST! IF you got the itch, this is the level, and it's a more playable wave than Trestle by far.

 

[cstork]

Yea, the 20th St wave is at the skate board park. I think it is the third drop there.

I find the wave kind of hard to get on to. Union Ave is better.

 

[J]

oh yeah, I remember now. That spot is awesome at 2K plus if you can deal with traffic cones, animal carcasses and whatever else floats by. I'll have to check it out at this level and see what the deal is. Haven't been in the boat in over a year.... nothing like a swim at connie to get me back in shape!

 

[Caspian]

Hey Cristof, what levels is Union best at? I've hit it at every level up to 450, and also at 1000. I find the play very disappointing, am I just not there at the right level? Does it fire up perfectly at 800 or something? My homeboy latenightjoneser likes Union too, and I've never quite figured out why.

You're right about the 20th St wave being hard to get to, which is why I love it at 900 versus at 700. That little f-u rock that causes you to lose all your speed and jack your ferry angle up is deep enough at 900 that it's not an issue anymore.

 

[J]

Caspian,

I haven't been to Union at much over 1000, or seen Hollywood when it's really "in" which I think requires over 1000, but at 300 - 500 the bottom hole is pretty fun, if you like trashy holes. Much higher than this and it washes out if memory serves me. Maybe it comes back in at much higher levels.

The top hole is fun at every level I've paddled there, but is almost boring at times. Hard to get vertical b/c its shallow, but you can flat spin and get a just a little vertical all day long. Maybe with the newer boats you can get a little more vert and open up the possiblities.

While I've never seen Hollywood at its best, I have seen some guys doing loops, blunts and some other tricks on it when most of us paddled right by. There is a sweet spot on the wave that is easy to miss. But, once you find it, you can do some good stuff.

Anyhow, my 2 cents. I pretty much learned to play boat at union and confluence duriing rain storms, so maybe I'm partial.

 

[Phillips]

Union used to get pretty high around early june until about the last 5-6 years. Over 2000 there gets to be some pretty big fast waves. I don't know if we will see it that high anytime soon. The top Hero hole is awesome above 1500. Haven't been to Union in years, not since the X boat, Medieval days.

Kent

 

[cstork]

I think J's got it right. The top hole usually has something going. The bottom hole is good at 500. Hollywood holds at most levels you and is a challenging ride, but who wants a perfect wave? At 1000 cfs, the middle waves start getting steep. 700 is probably the worst level, but still worthwhile.

I get the impression not many people check out the bottom hole.

 

[J]

Does that bottom hole at Union have a name?

I have seen some epic trashings, and some epic rides on that thing. There was a rodeo at that hole a couple years ago and some pretty damn good paddlers swam out of there. If you can tame it, there are good rides to be had, and you might have the whole thing to yourself. Have an exit strategy though! Probably not a good place to be paddling solo.

Can't wait for the real water to show up so we can paddle something clean!