[flounderbuoy]

Hey, im just wondering how low people have boated bailey and waterton? waterton seems like the flows are coming up though im thinking that there are still probably ice dams galore out there, anyone have information? when can we start boating on the front range??

 

[badkins]

In 2003 I boated Bailey on march 8th at 190cfs, there were no ice dams but we were walking through ankle deep snow when scouting/portaging. The slackwater at the beginning and end was miserable, but the rapids in the middle were fine at that level.

 

[earthNRG]

I've been running Waterton all last week at flows ranging from 250-300 cfs. No ice dams now, but this cold weather may change that.

 

[russllmar]

My lowest

My lowest was 140ish several years ago. Then I moved back to the SE for more year round boating. Russell

 

[Dave Frank]

WE ran it at 175 once, by mistake years ago. Won't do that again. 250 is my personal cut-off. I do agree wuth the previous comment: the rapids are good to go pretty low;, but entrance and egress sre very lame and boat abusive. The one time I was in there with a lot of ice it was pretty easy to spot and avoid. Undercut ice banks are sketchy though.

I once floated toward the res below waterton and saw the caved in skating rink (4 inch slab of ice), with the reservior sunk 5 feet below it. The right combination there could be fatal.

 

[Paul the Kayaker]

anything over 150 of Baily, dont know for waterton

 

[Caspian]

I once checked the Bailey gauge and it read 157 so we did it. It turned out it had dropped to 145 while we were on the way. I think from 145-175 it feels about the same. East Coast-style, no doubt, but I'll be there as soon as the gauge hits that level. The run is about an hour longer, but it's a great into level for Supermax.

Flip side is that the boof line at Deer Creek is gone and you have to run the mank (piton rock on the left, pin rock hidden in the foam on the right of where most of the water is going - run just right of the piton rock). Lots of folks won't go below 225, which is where the fun really starts.

 

[rasdoggy]

NEVER

I've been out there playin between foxton rd and the confluence of the forks for the last couple of weeks not running any drops but playin in some eddies and runnin some stretchs, and doin this in my Dagger Element thats 11', kind of reminds me of the southern Missouri rivers we paddled before movin here, cant wait till next week to get out there, I got a ww boat saturday!!!