[islandertek]

What run are the rapids above Shoshone (approx 1 mile upstream?) part of, and what class are they?? They look really nice from the road, but a bunch of flat water before them!! Just wondering! I'd like to add that to the Shoshone run next time I go!! Thanks!

Cheers!

-Nick

 

[Snowhere]

Um, don't read much hah? That's barrel springs and is mostly class IV with the exception of the waterfall onto a flat ledge with a undercut nearby that at best is a V, and at worst is a VI. Most put in below Kayakers Nightmare. Barrel Springs is considered a V at 2000 cfs, so at 1850 it should be exciting enough.

 

[yetigonecrazy]

Um, don't read much hah? That's barrel springs and is mostly class IV with the exception of the waterfall onto a flat ledge with a undercut nearby that at best is a V, and at worst is a VI. Most put in below Kayakers Nightmare. Barrel Springs is considered a V at 2000 cfs, so at 1850 it should be exciting enough.

Kayakers Nightmare = Upper Death

Barrel Springs courtesy of EddyFlower

 

[kevintee]

Hmm, I thought that there were a couple that were below both the powerplant and dam but above the shosho put-in. I should remember this considering we were just there on saturday.

 

[lmyers]

Colorado below Shoshone dam

Upper Death-class V:
<a href="Picoodle / 1ashtherockstar photo Image" target="_blank"><img src="http://img29.picoodle.com/img/img29/3/9/29/f_Photo0158m_85ea5dd.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by Picoodle.com" /></a>
Lower Death-class IV+:
<a href="Picoodle / m_126b3e89724a52810c5351450238 photo Image" target="_blank"><img src="http://img29.picoodle.com/img/img29/3/9/29/f_Photo0161m_2947542.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by Picoodle.com" /></a>
Life After Death-class IV+:
<a href="Picoodle / tcfc photo Image" target="_blank"><img src="http://img29.picoodle.com/img/img29/3/9/29/f_Photo0162m_626fa2f.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by Picoodle.com" /></a>
Barrel Springs-solid class IV:
<a href="Picoodle / arri�re photo Image" target="_blank"><img src="http://img29.picoodle.com/img/img29/3/9/29/f_Photo0166m_1e5b4fe.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosting by Picoodle.com" /></a>

 

[caseybailey]

Hmm, I thought that there were a couple that were below both the powerplant and dam but above the shosho put-in. I should remember this considering we were just there on saturday.

First is the dam...then is kayaker's nightmare (or upper blah, blah, blah) then is barrel springs, then is the riverwide wave (Name?), Then is the shoshone powerplant, followed almost immediately by the boat ramp (thus shoshone boat ramp).

 

[Gary E]

Barrell is considered 4+? Who can up with that rating?

 

[bluesky]

That seems pretty close to me, depending on the water level. Do you think it's easier or harder than that?

 

[yetigonecrazy]

well, gary's idea of class 4+ is probably a little different than most peoples idea of 4+........

 

[COUNT]

I think even Gary would agree that Barrel was IV+ when it hit 18G's this summer. Upper Death might even be a V, right?

 

[Gary E]

I think Barrell is solid 5 at any level above 2k(never paddled below 2). 4+ seems soft for such a fast, long voilent rapid with possible head rippers lower and flush drownings higher. I think Barrell, is a rapid with a lot going on, in a fast, shallow road blast, rapid that has a lot of gradient for 200yards.

I've only ran barrell at 11k and it was a very big 5, lol. Very big!

Gary

 

[yetigonecrazy]

now aside from the three big drops and the one smaller drop, its all flatwater between big'uns on that run, so woulldn't it technically be III(V x 2)(V+)?

 

[Gary E]

I would say kayakers nightmare(upper death) is 5+/p

Lower death 4+

Barrell 5/5+

river wide hole/wave 3+

so I would agree with that rating yetti.

I've paddled barrell 100 times and seen some brutal swims, stitches and broken gear many times on that rapid, it's mean.

 

[COUNT]

That's a pretty good breakdown. I would say that under 2G's, it goes something like

UD-V+
LD-IV
Barrel-IV+

How high has Upper Death been run? I've looked at it at a number of flows, seriously considered it a couple (in the 1500-3000 range) and looking at it at 9000 it was one of the most terrifyingly grounding experiences I have ever had. Wish I could have seen it when it was 18 this year.

 

[yetigonecrazy]

i wouldnt want to swim anywhere in barrel, the ever present sieves everywhere would be terrifying. they sure did a good job of putting an "eco-friendly" I-70 through there but that doesn't help the blast rock that was already there from the railroad and old US 6

http://rfkayakers.blogspot.com/2008/06/high-water-barrel-springs-lower-death.html the RF Kayakers ran it at 11,000, those guys have NUTS!!

 

[Gary E]

Tommy ran upper death at 8g a couple years back. That's the highest it's been paddled. Made it fine, just tuck the bottom hole and hold on. Went fine.

 

[yetigonecrazy]

damn, tommy is out of hand

 

[Snowhere]

And seriously, the whole run is Barrel Springs. You would not call #4 on the Numbers it's own run, now would you? You can easily just run #4, but it is just a rapid. So calling Kayaker's Nightmare, (or Upper Death, call it what you want) and Lower Death and Barrel and Powerplant each a run on it's self is a bit much.

So it's been run at 8Gs, that would have been splatecular to have witnessed. Anyone even have pictures of it up high?

 

[islandertek]

I had the feeling it was out of my league when I looked from the road! It went quick! (those road scouts have been painful lately!:mrgreen
I was just as curious as the rest of them! Thanks for the info though! Now I know that the Shoshone put-in is just fine for me now!! Looked good though!! Maybe someday.........oh, and then I woke up!!:mrgreen:

Cheers!

-Nick

 

[yetigonecrazy]

honestly, if you portaged Upper Death, Life After Death, and Barrel (easy thanks to the footpath), the run itself would be no harder than Shoshone. like mentioned above, stay in your craft because of all the rocks but subtracting the big drops the rest of the run is way easy