Articles in the trip reports Category
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It is not easy to catch good a paddling water in the South Platte River in eastern Colorado. 5 years ago I made a series of trips on the South Platte above and below Fort Morgan. My trip reports had a common title Paddling on Wet Sand …
It seems that the South Platte has a pretty good flow this winter, so I selected 20 miles above Fort Morgan for my New Year paddling. Sunny weather with temperature above freezing (well at least before sunset), a little bit of breeze, and the river flow of ~750 cfs at Weldona.
I was joined by Rob Bean for this trip. We paddled our Kruger canoes (Sea Wind and Sawyer Loon), probably, the best boat choice for winter paddling. We started at Goodrich (hwy 144) around 12:30 and finished 5 hours later under the Rainbow Bridge at Fort Morgan.
The river was slower than I expected – much wider than between Evans and Kuner, but pretty shallow with multiple channels. It was also much nicer than you could see around Greeley. No feedlot aroma! We had three dam portages. The last one over the Upper Platte and Beaver Canal dam was pretty long, but snow on ground helped with portaging.
You can compare my pictures with those shot five years ago during my 30 mile Texas Water Safari training run. I had much lower water (~400 cfs at Weldona) and a nicer weather in May.
Connie helped us with a shuttle. We finished our trip together with a dinner at Fort Morgan’s Memories.
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December is time for me to decide where I am going to paddle next year and to purchase some annual access passes. I live in Fort Collins in northern Colorado. Most of my paddling takes place in my local water within a short driving range. I am interested primary in flatwater paddling and photography.
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During last September paddling trip to Nebraska with Rob Bean I used my Subaru Outback to carry our two Kruger canoes along Dismal and Niobrara Rivers.
I have 58″ Yakima crossbars on Subaru and Ezee-V racks. We carried my Sea Wind (28″ beam) upside down as usual on crossbars and put Rob’s Sawyer Loon on V racks. I transport a variety of my racing boats and kayaks on these racks (see my review), but it was first time I used them for a “fat” canoe. Of course, in the case of wide boat straps need to be used instead of bungee loops which work fine for Thunderbolt kayak or Surfrigger. I should point out that Loon is much lighter and a little bit narrower than the expedition heavy Sea Wind.
All transportation went pretty well including a longer driving from Mullen to Valentine with a strong cross wind. You can see more pictures of these two Kruger boats in the Dismal River slide show. Pictures presented here were shot by Rob with his Pentax Optio W30.
Related posts:
Dismal River 2009 – Slideshow from Paddling Nebraska Sandhills
Ez-Vee Roof Racks from Kayak Pro – Review
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In the last weekend of September I went with Connie for paddling trip to Mullen, Nebraska. We took our two dogs (Pixels and Dax) and Sea Wind canoe. In Mullen we met Rob Bean with another Kruger canoe (Sawyer Loon). Me, Rob and Pixel managed to run two river trips. Connie helped us with a shuttle. We all enjoyed a beautiful early fall weather.
The first one was 36 mile paddling on the Dismal River from highway 97 (Mullen) to highway 83 (Thedford). It took us nearly 10 hours. Next day, we drove to Valentine and paddled 15 easy miles on the Niobrara River.
I prepared a 40 picture slide show from the Dismal River:
All pictures were shot with Pentax Optio W30 camera. I included a few pictures from Rob also shot with the same model of Pentax.
I am usually reducing exposure when photographing during mid day (-0.3 or -0.7). EV compensation is assigned in my camera to a “green button” for a faster operation. It allows me to avoid overexposure of bright areas like our white boats.
I am going to post more technical comments and tips from that paddling followed by pictures from the Niobrara.
Reports from the Dismal River:
… Dismal River – The First Encounter, July 27-29, 2001
… Through Barbed Wire Fences, August 24-26, 2001
… In November Rain, November 22-24, 2001
… Dismal River of Nebraska Sandhills, Carhenge and Dobby’s Frontier Town, September 2005
… Dismal River GPS/photo log (it will be updated after 2009 trip)
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Every year I try to visit the Gross Reservoir located west of Boulder at least once. It is one of mountain reservoirs owned by Denver Water. The Gross is opened for paddling during summer months (the Memorial Day weekend through September 30), is very scenic and quiet (with exemption of a few trains going to the Moffat Tunnel).
My recent 10 mile paddling on the Gross Reservoir was on July 3, 2009. I paddled the Surfrigger (outrigger canoe) and Rob his new/old Sawyer Loon. Loon is much lighter and faster than my Sea Wind.
All pictures below were taken from a boat with Pentax Optio W30 camera. If you check my previous trips reports you will notice that I am shooting at the same spots. The inlet of the South Boulder Creek is my favorite place to visit. I am also checking a burnt forest every time.
Rob posted some of his pictures on Facebook.
Related posts:
9 Pictures from Paddling Gross Reservoir in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains
Gross Reservoir – Fall Paddling in Colorado Rocky Mountains
Gross Reservoir – A New Paddling Destination in the Colorado Front Range
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I am extending my paddling on the North Platte River in southern Wyoming. Last Sunday I had a very nice trip from Bennett Peak campground to Pick Bridge below Saratoga. I paddled Sea Wind canoe with Pixel, the water corgi, as a partner. Connie with Dax were waiting for me at the Pick Bridge. It was a fast training run: 36 miles in exactly 4 hours without any stops.
River flow: ~1700 cfs in the North Platte at Northgate + ~1000 cfs from the Encampment River joining just above Treasure Island, ~4500 cfs in the North Platte further downstream. It was still high water, but much lower than a month ago during the Wyoming Outback Challenge. A perfect weather with just a moderate wind, very green with a lot flowers. A lot of wildlife including nesting bald eagles.
The river below the Bennett Peak campground is very scenic. It flows in a granite canyon with many rocks and cliffs. There are multiple narrower channels in several places. Paddling was easy. I suppose that it may be more challenging at lower water: some rocks sticking out and rocky shallows in some channels.
Driving to the Bennett Peak access takes some time. It can be reached by 19 mile long dirt road starting at highway 230 a few miles east of Riverside. The road is well marked and pretty scenic. The first 10 miles you can drive at highway speed, then you need to slow down.
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In my recent paddling on the North Platte River around Saratoga in Wyoming I was accompanied in Sea Wind canoe by Pixel, the Water Corgi. Pixel has grown up with our Newfoundland girl, Dax, and is real water dog. We paddled together on my local lakes in northern Colorado and on the South Platte River. The North Platte was his debut on a bigger river with some waves and splashes.
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Lonetree Reservoir southwest of Loveland belongs to my favorite paddling waters in northern Colorado. You can always enjoy a nice view of Rocky Mountains Front Range. It is a great spot to shoot sunsets over mountains.
However, in springtime when reservoir is full it’s time to explore some hidden treasures – submerged cottonwood forest in different lake corners. Please note that the heron rookery is a restricted area.
During last few weeks I paddled different boats on the Lonetree Reservoir: Surfrigger (outrigger canoe), Thunderbolt-X kayak, and Sea Wind Canoe. I cannot take Surgrigger into tight passages between cottonwood trees. There is a lot of floating debris after recent heavy rains. So, Sea Wind is the best choice for my exploration.
7 years ago I was training here with Spencer X-treme canoe for my first Texas Water Safari. I couldn’t find any other place in my vicinity to practice portaging over fallen trees and log jams.
At this high water level you can even escape the lake and explore some irrigation channels. You can easily find the inlet of a supporting channel to the lake. It is a little water cascade over headgates when the lake is low, but at this time it was the same water level in the reservoir and channel. However, there is also another entry to that channel hidden in woods which I discovered this year. No portage.
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2×5 mile paddling workout on the South Platte River: upstream from Kersey to the Plumb Ditch dam and back down the river, about 3 hours with some playing and shooting at the dam.
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Another afternoon paddling on the South Platte River, this time near Kuner. It was warm, but windy. I packed again my DSLR camera with a tripod into Thundeborlt kayak, but didn’t have an opportunity to shoot to many pictures.
The light wasn’t that great. So, all pictures below come from Pentax Optio W30, except the last one of old cars.
I have several favorite “tight places” on the South Platte. One of them is a narrow channel a mile or so upstream of Kuner. The river forms a pretty big island there.
