[ptwood]

Who else was paddling in the epic season of 95 and is stoked for the epic season of 2019? Pretty sure the greatest day of paddling I have ever had was running the Royal Gorge at about 7000 in the morning then heading up and running Pine Creek at some ungodly level.

I just got a new to me Stubby so I'm ready for some throw back big water!

 

[panicman]

1995 was my groups 1st year to head out west from Arkansas that summer for boating and followed the bible Colorado Rivers and Creek. Awesome hair raising trip with so many wild river stories.

 

[3d3vart]

1995? I think you mean 2011.

 

[ptwood]

1995? I think you mean 2011.

2011 was good but it was not close to the epicness of 95.

 

[tress33]

1995? I think you mean 2011.

nope, not even close

 

[3d3vart]

nope, not even close

Not even close? Actually many rivers in the Colorado River basin had peak streamflows higher in 2011 than they did in 1995. Although some others, including CO River at stateline had slightly higher flows in 1995 than they did in 2011. So, yes they're pretty comparable years actually. The Yampa for example, was higher in 2011 and was at its highest in modern times excepting 1984 (we put on at Deerlodge in June 2011 at nearly 27000 cfs). The Green River at Green River Ut was not only higher in 2011 than 1995, but was also higher than 95 in several years since including 1997, 2005 etc.

Didn't mean to highjack the thread...the subject line just through me off, as it isn't really accurate.

 

[DoStep]

Cataract Canyon @ >70K. It has hit that level several times since, but that is an epic level. Not quite the summer in the early 80's where it ran over 100K, but still huge nonetheless. We may see record high flows on the Upper Ark this year, esp in the Gorge as the Sangres are still choked with an unusual amount of snow.

 

[zbaird]

3d3,
Do you have a story about '95 or not? The thread isn't "lets start a pissing match about what rivers may or may not have been higher in 2011 than 95". You can start that thread if you want. The Ark was absolutely massive in '95.



I started rafting with a buddy's family in 94. The pic of two 14 y/o kids rowing an old Miwok in zoom flume is still one of my favorites. Oars were bigger than our arms. I still wonder what my buddys dad was thinking, but we did great. Then in 95 we ran browns again. I was young and dumb and didn't realize how much wore water there was or know what it meant. I about shit myself when we dropped into zoom flume at huge water and I got bucked what seemed like 10 feet in the air out the back of the boat. The little pics on the light board at the shop in Nathrop told a different tale through the eyeglass magnifier. If I wasn't hooked by then, I was after. That may have been the last time I portaged a raft around stone bridge. Good memories of those first years of rafting for sure. Looking forward to getting out on some good juice.

Good thread PT. Looking forward to some stories from guys getting after it a little harder than I did that year.

 

[stinginrivers]

95 on the ark was awesome.

PT you might have been in the group running Pine Creek that we watched, forget who all was there but it was a crew from Rocky Mountain ?? river company in JV.

We were sitting on the top rock river right which was getting slammed by boulders rolling down the river, that huge rock was just vibrating.

Having Big Drop, Siedel's and Sunshine all change forever was pretty amazing.

I sure do miss the old Big Drop.

Coming through Canyon Door and Pinball to find entire trips ahead of us flipped or tied up and hiking out because entire 10 boat commercial trips were upside down in the first rapid, was pretty sobering.

Would love to see Browns above 6000 again but I would be super stoked to see 4700 for a month or more.

 

[lmyers]

In 1995 I was in 9th grade and lived in Kansas..... but here is an awesome photo of my friend Phil in Spikebuck at 7k:

 

[ptwood]

Spikebuck at 7k was unreal long and HUGE! Can't wait for that freight train ride again...

In 1995 I was in 9th grade and lived in Kansas..... but here is an awesome photo of my friend Phil in Spikebuck at 7k:

 

[bike speed]

🍺🌵🍄

 

[griz]

The way it’s going weatherwise, i thinks the 2019 snowpack will come down in the of the summer of 2020.

‘95 was the year I bought an ancient even then perception dancer for a couple hundred bucks and gave kayaking a try. There was a flood watch on the St. Vrain but I would not be deterred to try out this new to me boat. I sucked with weak sauce skills and I was upside down within 200 yards of launching. I swam for quite a ways with my swamped dancer and folks were pulling over yelling if I needed help because I looked so utterly shitshow. “No! Thanks though!” as I dragged myself up on the bank, eventually.

Fucking kayaking.

Fucking idiot.

 

[Fuzzy]

Whiteroom Barrel 95 stupid big & fast

 

[tango]

Anyone in 1995 do a Granite to Canon City one day mission? I wonder what the fastest time is.

 

[ptwood]

The Basic 99, I don't remember how many people or what year but it was an all day affair.

 

[ptwood]

There was one day we ran Pine Creek with the river in Salida about 6k and there was some guy in a topo up there dropping of the rock on river right above the hole (which was a monstrous crashing wave) and just getting hammered.

 

[jgrebe]

I ran Shoshone in '95 at peak flow in a big 18' Aire Cougar. I can't say 100% but my memory is that it was 12k. Commercials stop running this section at 6k. Went vertical at one point but no flips. Second scariest whitewater run of my life. Did it again a week later and chased a buddy two miles before I could get him in the boat

 

[Dave Frank]

I started to paddle in '95.

I remember Boulder Creek hitting 1200 and waiting for sub 400, and then putting in at the library, because the play park was too pushy.

My main memory was how late the season ran, as I wasn't good enough to have taken advantage of the high flows. I didn't even know at the time how special it was, and that fall boating wasn't a given part of the season...

I remember running Black Rock on Clear creek at 350 cfs in early if not mid September.

Bring it on!

 

[Dave Frank]

I ran Shoshone in '95 at peak flow in a big 18' Aire Cougar. I can't say 100% but my memory is that it was 12k. Commercials stop running this section at 6k. Went vertical at one point but no flips. Second scariest whitewater run of my life. Did it again a week later and chased a buddy two miles before I could get him in the boat

Peak would have been higher. 15 K is a pretty regular peak at sho sho