Whitewater_Adventure's Blog

As the moderator for this blog, I've had the opportunity to raft some of the best rivers in Colorado. Just like any rafter should do, I started out on Class III trips and eventually worked myself up the ladder, and started rafting Class IV whitewater. Well this weekend, I had my first Class V experience. Two words: Holy Crap. I mean, seriously. I'm addicted. Before jumping on the river, outfitters make you sign waivers. You know, the waivers that say it's your fault if you die. Never in the waiver does it say, you'll become a total river rat. Rafting is so much fun that I've actually thought about quitting my job and becoming a raft guide. Ok, so maybe I'm halfway joking on this. To become a raft guide, I think it's a requirement to stop shaving your armpits and become a true mountain woman. I'm not sure I can do that.

But anyhow, putting all joking beside, I would like to tell you about my weekend. On Saturday, I rafted the Pine Creek section of the Arkansas River and on Sunday, I did the Numbers section. When I got to River Runners' facility, the river was flowing around 1250 cfs or so. Because the level had finally dropped, this was the first day the outfitter ran a commercial trip through Pine Creek all year. I was so pumped. I've heard a lot of great things about Pine Creek. It's supposedly the hardest stretch on the Arkansas River. And I was ready to take it on. We put-in in this tiny little town called Granite. It's about 16 miles north or Buena Vista, along Highway 24. The first couple of rapids we hit were Class III rapids. One was called Granite and the other was called Maytag. Both were relatively calm. I say this because I knew it was going to get much harder.

The good thing about these two rapids, they are great warm-ups. I hate getting on a river and your first big rapid being a Class V rapid. If you're going to raft Class V whitewater, you totally need to warm up first. Not to mention, that gives you some time to get to know the other people in your boat. Because you are working as a team, remember? A couple of miles later, we came to a rapid called Granite Dam. Hence the name, this rapid was once the area of a damn. Now it's a bunch of debris blocking the river. And because of this, we have to get out and walk the boat around the damn. The debris is sharp and can do a lot of damage to a raft. Our next rapid was a Class IV rapid, called Hopscotch. This rapid was a lot of fun, because it was pretty technical. I think it's called Hopscotch, because you're constantly moving from one side of the river to the other, to avoid rocks. Almost like a game of hopscotch. Except when I played hopscotch as a kid, I didn't have to avoid rocks. You get my point. A couple of miles down the river, we came to Pine Creek rapid, the rapid that makes this trip a Class V trip. While we were on the river, the level rose to about 1350 cfs. And because of this, we had to walk around Pine Creek rapid.

This rapid is usually not rafted when it's flowing above 1200 cfs.  You ask why? Take a look.

At 1350 cfs, this, my friends, is a section of Class VI whitewater. This is water that should not be rafted. Class VI comes with some major consequences. And trust me, I don't want to take the chance of swimming in a Class VI rapid. Too much for me. This section is very narrow. Take a look at the picture above. That's where we put back in, right next to a gigantic hole. It didn't look too bad when you're standing above it looking down on it. But once I got to the river bank, where all the people are standing in the picture, I got the picture. This hole was huge and the last thing you want, is your raft going into the hole. If it does, your flipping...no if, and or buts about it. I have to admit, it was a pretty scary place to jump back on the river. During this time, I said to the guide "I'm really nervous. Are you?"  He replied back, "I'm very nervous." I totally trusted we would make it through the rapid just fine. Two other boats put-in before we jumped on the river. Immediately, I saw three people fall out of their raft. Thankfully, they got right back in, and didn't have to swim the rapid. We put our boat in here, because right below was another rapid called Triple Falls or Three Sisters Rapid. We did not scout this rapid, so I had no idea what I was getting into. I was still too worried about the monster hole, right next to our raft. Obviously, by my pictures, where we put-in was some major whitewater. Triple Fllas was the best rapid I've done all year. It was very technical and there was lots of big water, big holes and big waves. Our crew did awesome in this rapid. It was a blast. I remember at one point, yelling because I was having so much fun. After pine creek and triple falls, the water was calm for a couple of miles. During this section, is the put-in spot for the Numbers section. That's where I started on my second day. Then it was time to raft the Numbers. Fortunately, both of my trips Saturday & Sunday included the Numbers section. And both days were different. I have to say my second day on the Numbers was the best. That's because the river was flowing above 1400 cfs, and the holes and waves were big.

Just like Pine Creek, the Numbers section starts off pretty mellow. I was told they call this section the numbers, because there are too many rapids to name, so they number them. Rapids #1, #2 and #3 are great warm-up rapids. All three were Class IV rapids and a lot of fun. What makes the Numbers section so great, is that you're combining technicality with big water. There are some runs I've done, where it was mainly technical, and the water wasn't as big as I would have liked. Rapid #4 rocked! This is a really long rapid and it's big water all the way through. It's a Class IV rapid, sometimes Class V rapid. I think it was Class IV on my first day and Class V on my second day. I could tell a difference. It seemed a little meaner. Rapid #4 is also where they take your picture.

After #4, obviously, there's #5. I think #5 is the hardest in the entire section. That's because it's very technical. This rapid was a Class V rapid both days. There is no room for mistakes. You have to manuever from one side of the river to the other side of the river. If you don't, it's not good. The water is flowing really fast and it will eat you. This is also a place you definitely don't want to swim. There's a pretty big drop in this rapid, too. And both times, it surprised me. I was concentrating so much on paddling hard, that I didn't realize what was coming up. The second day, our raft hit the drop sideways. My adrenaline was definitely flowing, because I was on the side of the raft that hit first. It was awesome though. #6 Rapid was cool, too. I think this rapid has the biggest waves. When I rafted it the second day, I remember looking down and seeing our boat completely filled with water. I also remember getting slapped a few times with waves. But honestly, big waves are my favorite. And when I am sitting in the front of the raft, which I was, it's even better. Rapid #7 was cool, too. This is the last rapid of the Numbers section. On the first day, our take out point was after Rapid #7. On the second day, it's where we stopped for lunch.

Once getting back on the river, there's a rapid called Miracle Mile. I think it's a class III rapid. It's a very long rapid, but it's not too complicated. It's also very shallow in this area. So you're constantly making your way around rocks. There are a couple more Class III rapids, before you hit a section of the river they call the Narrows. In the narrows, there are a couple of different spots where you have to make a tight squeeze. The first is called Narrows falls. The second is called House Rock. This rapid was fun, because it seems like you're going to hit House Rock head-on. I seriously thought we were going to hit the rock, but the raft went along with the water moving around it. After the rock, there's a pretty big drop. Also in this section, you raft through Buena Vista's playpark. We attempted to do a little surfing in this section, but was unsucessful. It was a little flushed out, and the rapid woudn't hold our boat long. Hey, we tried. My favorite rapid in the narrows section is called Beaver Falls. Beaver Falls was an old damn that was blown up. During this rapid, we had to get inside our boat and hold on tight, because there's a 10-foot drop. I love big drops. Then after the drop, there are some pretty big waves you have to paddle hard through. This rapid was a lot of fun. It's a Class III, sometimes Class IV rapid. On Sunday, I think it was probably a Class IV rapid. There are a couple of more Class III rapids on this run that made for a great cooldown. Shortly after, my second day of rafting came to an end.

I have to say last weekend was my best weekend of rafting. Two Class V trips, what more could I ask for? I think these two sections are perfect for someone wanting a good challenge and an adrenaline rush, because that's exactly what you'll get. I highly suggest trying it out. I want to warn though, this section is not for beginners. You have to have prior rafting experience, to raft these runs.

Run: Pine Creek-Full Day                                 

Departure Time: 10 a.m                                   

Trip Length: 6 Hours (Lunch Included)          

Price: $115

Guide: Mitch        

   

Run: The Numbers-Full Day

Departure Time: 9:30 a.m.

Trips Length: 6 Hours (Lunch Included)

Price: $96

Guide: Josh

 

Company: River Runners

                    (888) 723-8923

                    www.whitewater.net