Gunnison Gorge WDS

This trip has become an annual trip and one of my favorites of the year. To get down in the gorge is one of the hardest part of the trip becuase you transport your boat and gear down 1.1 miles vertical. This is the reason why we brought the light boats. There is a guy that runs a donky and pack horse service that will carry your gear down for $75 an animal.

The reasons that this is my favorite trip are the scenery, number of rapids, lack of people, the smith fork, the fishing, and the group working together. If you go make sure you donot camp just after the ranger station on river left it is an ant camp. They don't really care for people. Also watch out for the squeeze rapid it can create traffic jams. Our shuttle driver's Buster and Joe, Joe said I will make a good shuttle driver some day.

Guatelmalan Style, Anna getting ready to hike down


German shtyle Now It's Time To Dance.

Dan from Vail Yes he was one of those that didn't let me sleep two weeks ago at the Westwater put in, and I

Librarians trying to work out their cadence at the put in


Furious Riggin

Noel and Val cruisin down river

Jason running the Boulder Garden

Val running very close to thecenter rock but not hitting it

Noel with some hip action Anna and Nikki how did we get backwards











Oh yeahwe went right over the rock in the middle

Laura trying to squeeze between the rock

Jeff making sure the group left enough rubber on the rock

Camp chores water is to heavy to hall so just pump it

Cooking
Eating

Relaxing
Nikki in the Matrix
The Smith Fork


Ryer Style

The End

Westwater 8-23-09

So I drove 600 miles largely by myself to meet up with Devan/Sara and a crew to run weswater. Stopped in Frisco to borrow Jeff and Laura's boat because only had a couple paddlers and didn't want to run the 15 footer. I also stopped in Glenwood met up with my brother Aaron to run laps on Shoshone which was a nightmare. We had one lap in and then had no place to park any cars in either lot to run more laps. So we packed up the boat and headed for Westwater. We tried to go to bed early 10 pm, but a super inconsiderate group from Vail kept us up until three in the morning. I guess they don't understand driving 300 miles after being on the river for hours. Several of the people in our group went and asked nicely but they would just get louder and more inconsiderate. Vail Sucks.

Aaron and Sara waiting in anticipation

Jason rolling by Skull Hole

Where's Jason

Devan wheelies past Skull hole

Bobby Working left

Brandon B working left

Next to Skull hole

Looking up river of Sock It To Me
Even at 4000 CFS it is a huge, fun hit

Initial Hit SITM

Everybody is still in

Brandon B in the meat

Devan upside down after the initial hit

Coach Johnson helping Bobby out

Jason's boat apperantly floats away a lot

A little help from Bobby after we laughed our butts off when he caught air going over the rock at last chance. I wish we had a pic becks it was so good.

Trying to have some fun on the flat water paddle out. Jason "teaches" Bobby how to seal launch.
It was a great trip and worth the drive, even though it took me being on the river to realize that. And again Vail Sucks.