[Piedra]

Has anyone run the Class II part of the S Platte below Chatfield Dam (near C470)? Any info on the run, flows, put-in, parking, take-outs, shuttle info would be appreciated.

 

[sj]

Kinda like admiting you like heavy ladies but yes i do once or twice a year. Put in right there at c-470 and take out at the rtd park and ride at mineral, The littleton area the riverside building park on the north side of the street there by the river or just go on down to union play park and end the day with a session. At low water it's a snoozer with eddie turns being hard to find. At medium flows there is wave fun about every half mile. At high water it will get your attention. The only thing to look out for is just before littleton there are some chutes that get ugly at high water. It is the most senic part of the S. Platte in the city. The guy that invented strapping coolers with ice beer and quality munchies into an open boat had this run in mind. sj

 

[De la Boot]

Since we're talking about urban runs, does anyone know what's up with Cherry Creek?

Driving along speer and even further up by Colorado and Monaco, the creek seems to have some interesting, although man made, drops.

Anyone ever ventured out there?

 

[Andy H.]

Hi Piedra,

I just posted a review in all about Rivers:
http://rafting.allaboutrivers.com/C.../Urban_South_Platte_river_rafting-run166.html
but it won't be available for a week.

Basically its a pleasant float that's prettier and has more wildlife than you'd expect. There are drop structures that make things interesting as little rapids, Union Chutes is a kick, and if you go a lot further, there's a lethal low-head dam at the Xcel plant at Zuni. Look for the major horizon line on the river, the big smokestack on river right, and a wooden dock to get off the river on river left just above the dam.

If Congress would appropriate public funds for public works, there is a river restoration design plan sitting on the shelf just waiting for $25M of funding to remove the lethal dam and make the reach at Zuni like Confluence Park. This would allow a continuous float from Chatfield to Commerce City, or further depending whether one can handle the stench below the Metro Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Hopefully the water quality on the Urban S. Platte can also be improved.

For more info on the launch at C-470, contact South Suburban Parks 303-730-1022.

For info on access at the Union takeout, contact Dave Lee with Englewood 303-762-2683.

For the river restoration on the reach between 8th Ave. and Zuni, including removal of the dam, write your State and US representatives and senators.

SYOTR,

--Andy

 

[Caspian]

I've goofed around at one spot at high water. The slide-into-a-wave at Bannock Street looks crazy at high water. It forms about a 7 foot wave that is more of a novelty surf than anything else. If you try to hit the Cherry Creek Hole (at the confluence) and it's just dropped too low, check out the Cadillac Wave (christened as such b/c it's next to the dealer).

There are other folks who have done full runs of CC. If you go to the old Mountainbuzz board, you can search for info and will find a thread from a few years ago.

This last fall, Denver rebuilt several of the drops in CC. At least one is a low-head dam type of drop that a kayak could punch, but could easily drown a small kid swimming along. There is also a drop (near Stout I think) that may have surf potential at high water, it is where the river necks down slightly and goes over a 5 foot slide of sorts. I've eyed it many times, but it's never looked quite right or like ther was enough water.

Let us know what you turn up if you explore.

 

[cstork]

I bike along Cherry Creek from Glendale to confluence.

I would not want to run that in a kayak. Here are the problems:

1) There are three low bridges. As in 18-24 inches above the river bed, and 12 inches above the river. Perfect pin spot. One and maybe two of the bridges have railings. Perfect pin when the water is high and going over the bridge.

2) The slide you describe has water generally about 1 inch deep. The gravel in cement in the slide is about an inch in diameter and sharp. Looks like the slide will take away 10% of your plastic.

3) One of the drops is a bunch of boulders to aerate the water, like the spillway/waterfall at confluence.


I think another class II section of the South Platte you may be interested in is North of Commerce City and North of Brighton. Check out:
http://boc123.com/kayak/riverguide/South_Platte_Commerce_City.cfm
and
http://boc123.com/kayak/riverguide/South_Platte_Brighton_City.cfm

 

[Caspian]

2) The slide you describe has water generally about 1 inch deep. The gravel in cement in the slide is about an inch in diameter and sharp. Looks like the slide will take away 10% of your plastic.

True, but not when the wave is 7 feet tall. I think there is a general consensus that CC is just not enough fun and too much hassle.

 

[cayo]

I am really surprised at the interest in Cherry Creek. I run parts of it out in the hinterlands of east Denver,Glendale, and SAUDI AURORA.Between the dam and Cherry Creek mallthere are 3 "falls'and around 10 or 12 class 2ish drops.The best is THE RAPID FORMERLY KNOWN AS REBAR,1st d'ed by yours truly.It is about an 8 to 10 foot drop a crescent shaped staircase with 5 apx. 2 ft. steps and an odd recangular slab in the bottom center.It is a very bumpy and aereated affair best run in a ducky unless it is high, I ran it once in my Blunt it was something akin to being smacked in the ass with a baseball bat 3 or 4 times then a piton into the slab, at 175 cfs.At 230 it was a blast to huck over and over in a duck. This drop used to be real ugly, perhaps the most dangerous of all drops on the metro creeks,it included an additional 2 or 3feet of drop now found 100 yds. downstream ,LIL SISTER, was a staircase of brken dowm concrete bridge pilings on a bend,possibly class 4 without the abundant rebar ,wood ,and a sieve! FKA REBAR is located apx. Dayton and Yale.Two larger drops are downstream at Illiff and Bulln'bush these are both extremely poorly designed man made cheesegrater type drops that need alot of water to run.Last year when C CRK WAS 2050 CFS at confluence it was probably 600- 800 out east but by the time i got ther with boat it dropped to 200 or 300 i park n'hucked the 2 cheesegraters only classs 3 skills required, pick aline slide down avoid the obvious rooostertails just don't flip unless you like broken elbows.A couple of play spots form at high flows in Glendale,Cherry st.and just above Colo.blvd.Low bridges near cherry crk. mall.
rambled on too much already to go into detail about town run of SO. PLATTE, NUTSHELL VERSION;PUT INS /TAKEOUTS C-470,MINERAL, nieghborhood near Lee Gulch drops,mex.resteraunt/bowles,union ,oxford, Pink Floyd park n' play(find it yo own sef'),Ruby Hill, frog hollow, confluence, in that order.Drops at c470, mineral,liegh Gulch(good beginner area some drops ,cleaner water than union or conf. deep pools to roll in),Union!, Quincy!,Oxford,Pink Floyd,Ruby hill, paper tiger(stop in and see stretch mark sally and her mother table dance),Mississsippi,DEAD DOG/3RD AVE., and of course confluence to baseball stadium.I'll shut up now bye