Paddling Colorado

Sunday, June 12, 2005 - We woke up to rain. Part of a gulf storm had reached us. We packed up, drove through heavy rain to Cheyenne, then Fort Collins, and then up the Cache la Poudre Canyon to the Mountain View Campground. The rain had stopped by now. Here we met Chris and Santo Albright, Elliott Drysdale, Mike Duvall, Carl and Donna Homberg, and John Kobak. We immediately suited up and ran the Rustic Section and Grandpa's Gorge. It was a nice warm up and ended at the campground. It was extremely windy this night. Some of our tent stakes were pulled out. Cathy Needham and Bill Miller arrived after driving straight through.

Monday, June 13, 2005 - Carl and Donna left this morning. They had been in Colorado for about a week. We paddled the White Mile and the Rustic Section. We took off after the Rustic Section where Bill and Cathy joined the rest of the group to run Grandpa's Gorge.

The Mountain View Campground was very nice. There were pay showers, four minutes for a dollar. Chris brought a hummingbird feeder. It attracted a flock of hummingbirds. They would sometimes buzz us, making spaceship noises.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - There was a little ice on the picnic table this morning, but it would be the last. The remnants of the storm left and the rest of the trip was in fantastic weather. Elliott and Mike ran a bicycle shuttle to Spencer Heights for Cathy, Bill, Missy, Angie, and me. We had about a 20 mile, mostly downhill, ride back to the campground. We then ran the Mishawaka and Pine View sections.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 - We broke camp and paddled Mishawaka and Pine View sections again. We then drove to a campsite on BLM land near Buena Vista. It had an exceptional view of the Arkansas River Valley and the Collegiate Peaks. Mike stopped on the way at the Denver Airport to pick up Judi Cleary.

Missy at Mishawaka	Santo at Pine View Falls
John at Pine View Falls	Missy at Pine View Falls

Thursday, June 16, 2005 - The group split in two with one group running the Numbers and the other running the Fractions sections of the Arkansas. Buena Vista is a nice town. There are public showers in town, two minutes for a dollar. There is a whitewater park and a Colorado Kayak Supply Store. The town has a water spigot at the NW corner of the main intersection.

Friday, June 17, 2005 - Again we ran the Numbers and Fractions. We did laundry in town and then drove to the Piedra Campground near Pagosa Springs.

Saturday, June 18, 2005 - The Piedra was running a little high so we ran the Mesa Canyon section of the San Jaun River.

Cactus at BLM Camp	Mesa Canyon of San Jaun

Sunday, June 19, 2005 - We rode horses for four hours today along the Piedra River. The trail ran along the river with some large dropoffs at times. The horses were very surefooted, or I wouldn't be writing this.

Rustlers	Angie and Pockets

We then drove back to the BLM camp near Buena Vista. Chris and Santo had to leave for home.

Monday, June 20, 2005 - We paddled the Brown's Canyon section of the Arkansas today. Judi and Mike had to leave afterwards. We had a great meal at the Mexican restaurant in Buena Vista.

Seidel's Suckhole - Brown's Canyon - Arkansas River (photo by Judi Cleary)