Wolf Creek Waterfall

I have stopped to check out the "Tunnel of Love" waterfall on Wolf Creek Pass many times usually finding it too low or too high. The tunnel itself was sketchy when we stopped to check it out a few weeks ago. There was a log across the entrance of the tunnel that would have required a very sketchy seal launch, we had questions about the depth of the landing, and perhaps most importantly, I did not see how to stop without being flushed into the manky mank below the drop. However, there is a clean 20 footer about 50 yards downstream that we decided looked good. We roped boats down and ran a couple laps each.


Living in Colorado, I am no expert at running larger waterfalls, but I have learned that landing flat from 20 feet hurts. So, my new strategy is the controlled pencil-in, which does not look or feel as cool as boofing, but at least my back feels good. This waterfall has a bit of a tricky lead-in that makes setting up difficult, but I managed to plug it without much style on both runs.

Heise ran the best line of the day with a nice semi-boof:



And Donnie prepares to land flatter than he planned:

Wolf Creek runs very high during peak runoff due to the huge average snowpack on the pass. The 20 footer could be run pretty high and be okay. The Tunnel of Love requires a lower flow and will have a smaller window. This section is definitely alot of work for not many paddle strokes, but given the lack of clean waterfalls in Colorado, it might be worth it as a nice novelty falls.

Upper Taos Box

The Upper Taos Box is a run that I never really planned to do. It has a well deserved reputation for being full of dangerous seives. It also has some fun rapids and is set in an amazing canyon. Despite its reputation, given the chance to do a new run with a solid group (Josh Heise and Donnie Smith), I decided it was worth the drive. None of us had done this run before, so we scouted extensively so as not to end up under rocks. Suffice it to say that on a run like this on a rainy day, we had the river to ourselves.

The first rapid is NCO. At our water level (550 cfs) this rapid looked terrible. The majority of the river seives out, but I think a good right line would open up with more water. Luckily, the next major rapid, Hell Hole, looked much better with a good boof, and only minor seive issues. My boof:

At the end of a longer section of boogie water, we came to pleasure plunge.

More boogie water leads to Big Arsenic (which needed more water), but the run does not let up with Little Arsenic and Little Arsenic Jr., which are more spread out and have some places you do not want to explore. We did the long paddle out to Dunn Bridge, which really was not that bad (9 miles of easy water with current and great scenery). The hike would probably save some time.

We had 550 cfs, which seemed low. The book gives a 300 cfs minimum , but I would not make the trip under 500 cfs. I think 800-1000 would significantly clean up the rapids. This run is worth doing, but is not a place to be out of control or swimming. There are dangerous seives in every major rapid and everywhere in between. I'll definitely be back. Hopefully with a bit more water.

Upper Animas

The Upper Animas is a Colorado classic. Clear COLD water running through 26 miles of wilderness served by only a historic train. While this run has a reputation for being dangerous due to several high water flush drownings, it can be downright relaxing at lower water. At lower flows (under 2000 cfs at Durango) the in-between is Class III while the main drops remain quality Class IV. We ran the Upper A with raft support during a June cold spell when the level was 700 at Silverton and 1500 at Durango. The photos here are from that trip.

Tenmile rapid.

Other raft in No Name, which is the hardest rapid on the run (including the Rockwood Box).

The author in the entrance to No Name.

Roger in No Name.

While we were a little disapointed in the lower water for our trip, it turned out to be a pretty good thing when one of our rafts flipped in Rockwood, which would have been a big problem at high flows. Overall, this run at lower flows would be a great choice for adventurous Class III-IV types with a good roll, and I am always surprised that more people don't take advantage of it. Hopefully I will get some high water pics next year...