South Boulder Creek - Upper South Boulder Creek

Description

USB is a short class V wilderness run near Boulder infamous for its ability to destroy boaters. For some local hair boaters, this is their backyard training run. For others, it's a run they contemplate stepping up to from the comfort of their living room in the off season, only to be forgotten about while spending the spring running Clear Creek. For most boaters, it's one they gawk at in the guide book on their way to run Brown's Canyon.

For me, it was a run I ignored for many years while I cut my teeth (fortunately not literally) on easier Front Range mank. A desire to step it up, combined with a drought year not leaving a lot of other good options, found me trying to round up a small group of local hardman boaters to show me down. A spring storm brought temperatures down into the 30s with a rain/snow mix. Bad weather, hangovers, and the temptation of doggie kindergarten almost shut down our trip. But ultimately, poor sense prevailed and we rounded up the usual suspects. By the time I was airing out a 10 foot boof in RIMBY, I knew we'd all made the right decision.

Put-in at Pinecliffe and enjoy the extremely short warmup because the class V starts immediately at a railroad bridge with the rapid known as Trainspotting. Trainspotting is the best chance to tuck your tail between your legs and walk back up to the car. Despite some descriptions that claim Trainspotting is more akin to the boogie water, Trainspotting is actually representative of the major rapids on this run. However, if you don't like the looks of it and are considering portaging, there's no point in heading further downstream. The next major event is the Gash. Most people in their right minds portage the Gash, especially after a famous local kayaker died in the dangerous sieve. But kayakers, not always known for good judgment, run the Gash on occasion (this kayaker does not recommend it). An eddy on river right behind a boulder starts an obvious portage line.

Lumberyard immediately follows and although it can collect wood, it was clean and relatively straightforward when I ran it. Not far downstream and immediately after a fun 5 foot ledge boof, a sizeable eddy on river right tucked behind a large boulder signals the start of S-turn. S-turn deserves respect not only for the string of moves required to negotiate the drop, but also because it runs straight into LZ falls, a mandatory portage. At low water there's a nasty pin rock in the last 3/4rds of S-turn that deserves attention. LZ falls has been run by 3 people at high flows, but for most, it only takes a brief glance to call it a portage. Don't miss the small eddy on river right before the drop.

The next section is collectively known as Grand Piton National Park. The name is a nod to climbers in the area and to what will likely happen to your boat if you're not paddling on red alert. Having a crew that knows the lines is the best way to handle this section. Some bushwhacking along the shore could and should be done if nobody knows the lines, but this is a long section of steep class V strung together with some lines that definitely do not go. I ran it on directions and by following the helmet in front of me. I was told something about a "triple drop", but I went through about ten drops that could have fit that description.

The gradient slackens, a little bit, until RIMBY. The entrance drop on RIMBY may be the best kept secret on the Front Range, offering an easy 10 foot boof. A slight upslope at the lip provides a perfect kayak ski jump style launch pad. The bottom half of RIMBY has a couple of slides into holes with more rock dodging to avoid getting pinned.

If it hasn't ended you first, the run ends in Gross Reservoir. Another .75 - 1 mile flatwater paddle out (depending on reservoir level) will deliver you to your car with a smile on your face.

I first ran it at about 270cfs, which seemed to be a good minimum flow. 350 cfs is likely the friendliest flow, and at >400 cfs it starts getting fast with more significant holes. At high flows, USB is commonly known as Normandy Canyon - guess why.

Flow Information:

Much to the chagrin of many Grand County residents (and beyond), the Moffat Tunnel diverts water from the dewatered Fraser River to the thirsty Front Range. Flows from the tunnel can make significant contributions to the flow on this run. The gauge data is located here:

https://dwr.state.co.us/SurfaceWater/data/detail_graph.aspx?ID=MOFTUNCO

Statistics

Author	KSC
Class	V+
Current Flow	303.0 CFS 06-26-2019 07:45
Recommended Flow	Minimum: 250.0 Average: 400.0 Maximum: 800.0
Typical Season	Begins: April Ends: July
Recommended Use	Kayaking: Yes Rafting: No Canoeing: No SUP: No Packrafting: No Fishing: No
Primary Gauge	SOUTH BOULDER CREEK ABOVE GROSS RESERVOIR AT PINECLIFFE
Length	Mile(s)
Gradient	FPM

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S-turn

06-10-2012 - The bottom half of S-turn

Photo By: Bridger Steele

Subject: Kevin Cripps

Type	Name	Description	Camping?	Water?	Boat Ramp?	Vehicle Access
Put-In	Pinecliffe	Park in the dirt pullout on the north side of the road and put-in at the small river access point on the downstream side of the bridge.	No	No	No	All Vehicles
Take-Out	Gross Reservoir	From Hwy 72 go north on Crescent Park Dr. to Gross Dam Rd. When you reach a junction, turn left and follow it to the parking area by the reservoir. Desginated parking and a small bathroom is available here.	No	No	No	All Vehicles

Rapid Name	Description	Class	Recommended Flow
Trainspotting	After a very short warm-up through some class II and class III, a train bridge across the river signals the start of Trainspotting. A large eddy on the river right before the river goes under the bridge provides an easy scout eddy. This rapid has three components: the top hole, the first ledge and the second ledge. Screwing up the top hole is often where things go wrong. The best line on the second drop is off the ledge right of center, but lines to the right of it generally go as well. The second ledge is best run off the autoboof on the right side if there's enough water. At low water, a right to left move through a funky seam into a hole is required on the second tier.	V	Minimum: Maximum:
The Gash	The Gash has a solid entrance into a ledge that lands right next to a large flat rock that is badly seived out. This rapid is almost never run. An accomplished local boater was killed here in the early 2000s. A fairly straightforward portage is available on river right.	VI	Minimum: Maximum:
Lumberyard	This is the easiest of the named rapids and comes very shortly after the Gash. An easy scout is available on river right. Run a ramp into a hole and stay off the wall on the final drop.	V-	Minimum: Maximum:
S-turn	S-turn is a downright quality and fun rapid, but unfortunately is marred somewhat by being positioned directly above LZ Falls, upping the ante significantly. The crux tends to be avoiding the hole in the last part of the S-turn and staying away from the undercut wall that follows. At low flows, there's a bad pin rock below the main hole. Positioning a catcher in one or more of the eddies below the rapid is a wise idea as blowing an eddy could prove deadly.	V	Minimum: Maximum:
LZ Falls	Although this rapid has been run by 3 people at higher flows, most everybody considers it a mandatory portage. This is the most unpleasant portage on the run. Stay on river right after S-turn and follow the semi-apparent fisherman's trail along the cliff.	VI	Minimum: Maximum:
Grand Piton National Park	This may be my favorite rapid on the run, which is really just a long stretch of class V continuous whitewater. Although it's often run blind, when in doubt check for wood, especially in the entrance slot drop. Below LZ Falls, follow the boogie water down the center or right of center until a prominent rock appears in front of you. The water splits into two channels. One of my guides on my first run down told me, "Go right. You can go left, but you go under some rocks and stuff. It goes though." My other guide turned to me and said, "Don't go left." After going right, work a little back to the center to punch a hole and squeeze through a slot. More continuous boogie water follows until it steepens again for a final set of small ledges and holes. It's possible to eddy out before it steepens again on river right, river left, or in the center of the river. The general line is to start left, work right with the current, punch a couple of holes, boof off the main ledge towards the left and hang on for the rest of the ride. If everything goes well, your grin will be ear to ear in the eddy at the bottom.	V	Minimum: Maximum:
RIMBY	More prominent cliff walls signal the start of RIMBY. The top part of the drop is almost always portaged after a local boater went in at low water and declared that the undercut boulder on river left is death trap were you to get pushed in there. After portaging the top portion on river right, the action begins by negotating a lateral at the top and launching a perfect 10 foot boof. Proceed down two distinct ramps, avoiding the holes, and then paddle hard through the class V read and run runout.	V	Minimum: Maximum:

South Boulder Creek - Upper South Boulder Creek

Colorado-US

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