Trip Reports: Canyon Creek, Colorado River, East Fork Lewis

[liveonearth]

Yesterday: second run ever on EFL. Flow was approx 1400CFS at launch and rising, raining the whole time. Group of six, half female: Jessica, Shannon, Bruce, Scott, Tom and me. We launched a few miles above Sunset falls. It reminded me of the upper Little in Tennessee. Banged my elbow on my cockpit rim landing really flat at Sunset. Must work on my "house" arm position. Screaming left seemed easy. We ran six different lines at Horsehoe falls and all were fine. All six lines were left of the tip of the nose run that Joey had us doing last time I was there. No swims in the whole group. We did not stop for the play holes which were everywhere.

Colorado River: 4 days 3 nights 12 miles from Hoover dam to Willow beach. Over Thanksgiving. Hotsprings destinations along the way. More info in friends-only post.

Last Sunday: first ever run on Canyon Creek, it was Michael William's BD celebration paddle. Joey was also there, and Shannon, Tyree, Amy from Atlanta. Total group of 11, and I think there were 2-3 others who hadn't seen the run. Flow was "the low end of medium" according to Michael: good for the rookie run. First drop: Swizzle sticks is tough. Amy swam there and the whole canyon below there. Lots more pretty good drops. Gradient 120 feet per mile. One mile lake paddle out at the end, then carry your boat up a steep rocky gully to cars. A paraplegic paddled it, and was hauled up that slope by a team of boaters with ropes. Impressive. I made the run without trouble, but can see the potential for trouble in lots of places.