Arkansas
River, CO. Trip - June, 2003
Trip Participants:
Steve Anderson, Chip Arnberg, Volker Beer, Van & Jean
Honeman, Tommy James, Dean & Marsha Perry,
Kristin Stramler.
Story exert by Van Honeman, photo contributions by Chip and Kristin
On Wednesday a.m., Tommy, Chip and I ran small boats from the Salida boat ramp to Rincon, a 2 1/2 hour run, and in the afternoon, Jean and I on the Jag and Tommy and Chip R-2'd Tommy's Puma through Browns Canyon on about 1,100 cfs from Ruby Mountain campground to Stone Bridge. The river was running an additional 800 or so cfs the previous week, and I was continually kicking myself for misjudging the timing, hearing stories about bigger water two weeks before. This turned out to be a year for the Arkansas to flash and drop, and we were there for the drop. On Thursday, we were joined by club member Volker Beer sporting his new kayak, and in the morning, Tommy, Chip and Volker repeated the Salida boat ramp to Rincon run so Volker could get the hang of his new kayak, and in the afternoon, we repeated the Browns Canyon run, being joined by Tucsonan/Grand Canyon/Middle Fork permittee friend Robert Glennon in his 14 ft. Achilles, launching from Fisherman Bridge campground, Jean and I on the jag, Volker in his kayak, Robert in his Achilles, and Tommy in his IK, barely getting off the river and loaded by dark.
On Friday, we elected to run the Royal Gorge, and by the time we loaded, drove to Pinnacle Rock, unloaded, ran shuttle to Canon City, we launched 1:00 p.m. We had been joined by club members Steve Anderson with his Sotar cataraft and Dean Perry and Marsha Seng with their Northwest cataraft, and Tommy's friend Shawna, now from Austin, Texas, running her cataraft with her Black Lab "Hyside" (who tied for best river dog name in one of last year's issues of Paddler Magazine), so I named the day's run the "dog and cat run", featuring 10 humans, l dog and 5 cats. Volker accompanied us in his kayak from Pinnacle Rock to Parkdale, where he decided his kayak was too squirrelly for tackling the gorge, and began his 10 hour drive straight through drive back to Tucson. The rest of us soldiered bravely on, Tommy rowing Dean and Marsha's cataraft; Chip riding with Steve; Jeff Withers from Palm Springs riding with me; Shawna and "Hyside"; and Shawna's brother and his friend, both recent West Point grads, R-2'g Tommy's Puma, Shawna's brother having guided on the Ocoee last summer. Tommy was the hero of the day, knocking Shawna's boat off a rock and then he and his crew having to then self-rescue their own boat off the same rock. The river was running about 1,100 cfs, so we spent probably an extra hour scouting and running Sunshine Falls, and we hit the takeout in Canon City at 8:45 p.m., loaded the boats in the dark, ate dinner, and returned to Salida by midnight to a very concerned wife who had elected to enjoy the arts-oriented attractions Salida had to offer that day rather than ride the river.
On Saturday, we elected to run the approximately 18 miles from Twin Pines to Pinnacle Rock or Parkdale, launching at 12:45 p.m., being joined by Colorado kayaker Andy who was a friend of Colorado friends Susan and Gary and Alex Betz. The flotilla consisted of Dean and Marsha; Robert; the Betz's; Colorado friends Darrell and Eileen Stanley from Glenwood Springs riding with Jean and I from Pinnacle Rock to Parkdale; and Steve and Annbell. Some took out at Pinnacle Rock, and the rest of us fought wind and rain to Parkdale. I made reservations for Saturday evening for those in our group who wanted to ride the new tourist train through the Royal Gorge, a 2 1/2 hour ride which leaves at 7:00 p.m., costs $26.50, and goes from Canon City west upstream to Parkdale, then returns to Canon City. Train riders were kayaker Andy; Jean and I; Darrell and Eileen; Dan and Marsha; and Steve and Annbell; with dinner in Canon City afterwards. We all enjoyed seeing the river so close-up from the open observation cars and seeing where all the boat maneuvering was required.
On
Sunday, we repeated the Royal Gorge run on about 950 cfs, Jean and I on the jag; kayaker Andy
riding with Steve; and Tommy and Chip R-2'g the Puma, this time not having to scout. Running
the Royal Gorge is an incredible thrill and is unlike any other river I run because the river
is so narrow and the canyon is 1,000 feet deep, and I love running Browns Canyon because of the
fancy maneuvering required to slip between the rocks. On Monday, I was unsure whether
Browns Canyon could be done at 850 cfs with my jag, despite Tommy's urging it was okay,
remembering a bad experience I had in 1980 double broaching a rafting company paddle boat in
Pinball on what I then thought was 850 cfs, which had to be much lower then as we had no
problem this time getting through. Moral to the story: "Listen to Tommy".
Darrel and Eileen rode with me; kayaker Andy in his kayak; and Dean and Marsha on their cat;
and all enjoyed the ride.
