Tag: Kersey

Paddling South Platte River from Evans to Kuner and beyond

This year Annual Joint Club Paddle returned back to a traditional section of the South Platte River on March 26th. The trip started from the Riverside Park in Evans and eded up after 9 miles at Kersey or after 15 miles at Kuner. It was a nice weather and plenty of water for paddling at ~700 cfs flow at Kersey.

There were 3 stand up paddleboards this year. I paddled 13.2’x30″ Voyager by Red Paddle, inflatable touring SUP with a pivoting fin by Frogfish. I paddled with the main group to the first dam, and then went a little bit faster reaching Kuner after ~3.5 hours and 15.4 miles.

There were some changes on the river. Portages over dams were somewhat more difficult, especially, for larger groups. The group did a longer portage over the first dam on a left shore. I managed to do a short portage portage on the right. I wanted to be on the right shore for some photography.

Is it possible to paddle downriver from Kuner to Fort Morgan?
Is it worth it?
My answer for both questions is yes.

10-20 years I was actively training for marathon paddle races including Texas Water Safari and WaterTribe events. It motivated me to paddle in winter and spring when lakes in northern Colorado were frozen. During that time I explored different sections of the South Platte River all the way to Fort Morgan and a little further to the Snyder bridge.

I still have some old pictures, stories and blog posts from this series of “paddling on wet sand”, probably, with many broken links. Sorry! At least, they can give some ideas what to expect.

There are numerous dams and a lot of water diversion. So, it is really necessary to check river flow data and plan accordingly. Sometimes, it may be wiser just to paddle the Evans to Kuner section with a more reliable flow. It’s better to plan shorter paddling sections or/and have some exit strategy if your paddling is going slower that expected. I paddled at flows as low as 100 cfs at Masters, but it required a lot of kayak dragging.

Good news: some dams may be opened and runnable, especially, in winter and early spring.

Related posts:
My First Paddling on the South Platte River near Greeley
New Year Paddling – 22 Miles to Fort Morgan on the South Platte River
Paddling on Wet Sand: Discovering the South Platte River in Eastern Colorado
Paddling on Wet Sand: the South Platte River below Fort Morgan
30+ Miles of South Platte River in Eastern Colorado

April 4, 2022
Scouting the South Platte River near Greeley, Colorado

I haven’t paddled the South Platte since the last winter, so I decided to do some scouting around Greeley. There some changes …

Riverside Park at Evans with a river access

Riverside Park at Evans

The park was rebuilt after flooding damages and reopened in October of 2018. The river access requires a longer walk than it used to be, but it is more comfortable. A concrete path leads directly to a huge sandbar. No more scrambling downhill through that concrete rubbish. The parking lot is accessible only from the 37th Street in Evans. You cannot drive around ball fields as before.

Kersey – county road 53

There is a construction of new bridge, so no parking along that road near the river. A little spot good for a couple of cars next to a water gage is still open. It looks like the main river channel is not obstructed, but I did not have a chance to check more carefully.

Update: Weld County Road 53 will be closed from March 25 until April 29. The new bridge is built, and the are down to connecting the new roadway to the old roadway and then demolishing the existing bridge. I am sure it will change the river access.

Kuner – county road 61

It looks the same.

Milliken – highway 60

Another bridge construction. It used to be a good parking spot there with a not easy but doable river access. It’s gone now! This was the end of my favorite “Wildcat Mound” river section with a start at the lower St Vrain Creek. Of course, you can paddle further downriver to Evans, but it would be 17 instead of 7 miles with 2 additional dam portages.

South Platte River at Evans looking downstream

Self shuttle

In the past, I did several river trips with a self shuttle using inline skates or bike to carry a packraft or towing a kayak. A traffic along, and, especially, across the river in Weld County has significantly increased during last a few years – a lot of farm and cistern tracks. It makes my self shuttling less attractive.

Wildlife rangers

In February of 2017 I had a long chat with a Weld County wildlife ranger under the Kuner bridge. I was lectured that I couldn’t legally access the river there, because the Kuner and Kersey bridges had no right off way and landowners could get upset. They also don’t allow to launch any boats from Mitani-Tokuyasu SWA above Kersey (I was using that spot 15 years or so). The ranger got some landowners complaints about trespassing, but none against paddlers. During my 20 years of paddling the South Platte I didn’t upset anybody except two wildlife rangers.

A few years ago, a friend wanted to train with a racing canoe on the South Platte during winter, So he called Colorado Parks and Wildlife Department. He heard the same story. Yes, you can paddle the river. No, you cannot legally access the river anywhere (Kersey was specifically mentioned). However, they didn’t mentioned, that there were several public riverside parks along the South Platte below Denver including Brighton, Fort Lupton, Evans or Fort Morgan. My impression is that they really represent interests of hunters and landowners. Paddling or recreational use of the river is just a nuisance.

I am still paddling the Horsetooth Reservoir this winter, but my first paddling on the South Platte will be the upstream/downstream workout starting at Evans Riverside Park. I am also checking water levels at St Vrain Creek.

Related links:
South Platte River below Denver, Colorado GPS/photo river guide (updates are required)
South Platte River from Wildcat to Evans by SUP
Wildcat Mound Run – the South Platte River by Bike and Packraft

January 28, 2019
Paddling SUP on South Platte River from Kersey to Kuner

March 8, 2015. A short, 7 mile, stand up paddling (SUP) trip on the South Platte River from Kersey to Kuner with Rob Bean and a company of goose, deer, and bald eagles. It was easy paddling with a good flow of 1100 cfs and beautiful warm weather. After, paddling I did some river scouting around Evans Riverside Park and further upstream.

Rob’s pictures from this paddling on facebook.

Launching our paddleboards below Kersey bridge next to water gauge station

I paddled my Badfish SUP with a short fin and never touched the bottom. Rob paddled with a regular fin and had to step out of his board once or twice, but I believe it would be possible to avoid any shallows with a more careful navigation.

Finishing our run at Kuner on left shore above the bridge

A typical bridge river access on the South Platte.

A part of Riverside Park at Evans reopened in September 2014 with entry from 42nd Street. There is access to a small lake, but no access to the river.

A bike trail going under hwy 85 bridge at Evans. Off road parking at the end of frontage road. The river access is not bad for the South Platte standards (no fences), but the under bridge scenery is pretty ugly.

And, the bike trail ends just below the bridge. This is how probably the river shore looks further downstream at Riverside Park after the 2013 flooding.

Let’s move 16 miles upstream: St Vrain Creek at Wildcat about 1 mile before the confluence with the South Platte.

Access to the river from the county road 19.5 (no fences) looks more or less the same as before flooding. River flow ~200cfs. I have started paddling trips here with flow as low as 90cfs.

Related posts:
Opening 2015 Paddling Season on the South Platte River
Scouting and Paddling the South Platte River after 2013 Flooding
South Platte River below Denver – GPS/photo river guide

March 9, 2015
Group Paddling Workout on the South Platte River

Sunday afternoon, February 15, 2009. 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. Flow at Kersey: ~500cfs.

Four solo kayakers: Jeremy in a wildwater racer, Rob in Spencer X-treme canoe, John in Ruahine Opus, and me in Thunderbolt-X kayak.

Cameras: Pentax Optio W30 (pictures from a kayak) and Canon EOS 40D with EFS 17-55mm zoom lens (pictures at the dam).

South Platte River below Denver – GPS/photo river guide

Returning Back to (Paddling) Life

Old Truck, Young Eagle and the South Platte River Mysteries

Paddling Thunderbolt Kayak in Tight Places – Lone Tree Creek

Kayaking on Saint Vrain and South Platte Rivers near Platteville

South Platte River – Another View or How to Photograph the River?

February 18, 2009

3 Winter Paddling Hours on the South Platte River

My local paddling lakes are frozen, but Horsetooth Reservoir is still open and the South Platter River is flowing. Unfortunately, I am not ready for my usual winter paddling yet. I need a few weeks to recover from my wrist surgery which I had just before Christmas. Meantime, I am reposting a photo story from my paddling on the South Platte River on January 12, 2008. I paddled Thuderbolt-x kayak upstream from Kersey to the Plumb Ditch Dam and back down the river. All pictures were shot with Pentax Optio W30. Rob Bean just paddled the same course on the South Platte with his Spencer X-treme canoe and a new wing paddle. He posted some pictures from this trip on Facebook.
	14:00. I am launching my Thunderbolt kayak under the bridge at Kersey and starting to paddle upstream. Air temperature: a few degrees above freezing. Partially cloudy. River flow: 480 cfs. Snow on the ground and a little bit of ice along shores. There were some spectacular icicles a year ago on this shore. I have a tendency to shoot pictures at the same spots.
	Passing old cars above Kersey. It is the same “parking lot” where in October 2007 I had a close meeting and a photo session with a young eagle. The river has developed some new channels during last year.
	1 minute stop at the mouth of Lone Tree Creek. This time, the water level is too low to go any further. Perhaps, 50 geese were sitting there just a few seconds ago. No hunters. You wouldn’t notice this creek when paddling downstream. Paddling upstream reveals many river secrets.
	Working hard upstream. Speed between 2 and 3 mph. 1 hour to confluence with the Cache la Poudre River. As expected there were some goose hunters there just packing their decoys. Mitani-Tokuyasu State Wilderness Area next to the Poudre used to be my favorite spot for kayak launching. However, nowadays, this area is open only during hunting season and a parking space is limited to 4 cars. Also, all trees on this shore died for some reason during last couple of years.
	I believe that the South Platte is getting somewhat faster with more shallow spots above the confluence with the Poudre. Plumb Ditch Dam – the target of my upstream workout today. Two hours, almost 5 miles. I heard hunters somewhere near the dam, so I turned around and landed on a gravel bar a little bit further downstream. 10 minute stop. A cup of hot tea. And, easy paddling down the river back to Kersey.
	Sunset. Beautiful light, but is getting cold. Brrrr! My speed down river varies between 6 and 8 mph. Of course, I am tired after upstream workout, however, I am hitting shallows more than when going slowly upstream.
	Eagle tree. There were 6 bald eagles sitting on that tree. I saw many more eagles along the river.
	16:50. A few minutes after sunset. I can hear the Kersey bridge. There is always a heavy and fast traffic on this road even on weekends. So, be careful during your launching operations. 9.7 miles paddled during this trip according to my GPS.
Related posts: South Platte River below Denver, Colorado – GPS/photo river guide Paddling with Icicles – Thunderbolt-X on the South Platte River below Greeley Old Truck, Young Eagle and the South Platte River Mysteries Paddling Thunderbolt Kayak in Tight Places – Lone Tree Creek January 2001 – My First Paddling on the South Platte River