​​In The Shadow of Longs Peak

The Chutes 

​13 August 2006

This route, the south fork of the South Platte is a good place to hone your maneuvering and other river ready skills.  This route is mostly class 2 but with the addition of rocks -  those hidden just below the surface of the water; those noticeably above; and those just ever so slightly out of the water - abound!

We put in at a spot about 5.5 miles above the Gudy Gaskill bridge.  This spot has room for 3 or 4 cars and does not require an entrance fee.  The bank to the river is gentle and within 20 ft of the car.

There are many stretches of flat water along this section of the river, and this put in is at one of them.  This gives you a nice chance to warm up before encountering any river problems.

The “problems” on the beginning stretch seem minor - more of the rocks big enough to be seen and avoided rather than the rocks to get hung up on variety.

There are a couple of minor drops.  At today's flow of 323, you can slowly approach the drop and line up properly before going down.  And, after each drop things quiet down immediately, so, keep that paddle in the water and the show will be over quickly.