Gore canyon

Anyone know more about the climbing in Gore Canyon? Can you access the climbing another way besides the rapids? I don't yet know anyone with the equipment to raft down.

The upper end of the Canyon is private property until you are just past Applesauce rapid so if you are trying to hike in it will have to be from the bottom or dropping in from one of the huge gullies coming down the east side of the canyon.

I have heard of people thru hiking the canyon but this would be an expedition in itself. It could be easily done by walking the tracks but this would be illegal, require crossing the river to gain the RR, and would leave you on the side of the canyon that looks to have the worse rock. Hiking the east side would probably require some climbing and rappelling itself, and I think would be far more dangerous than boating in as you are putting yourself in close quarters with some pretty big whitewater, wearing a pack and probably no flotation.

Supposedly there were a few few commercial companies 10+ years ago that held floating and climbing permits for that stretch of the river. From a couple of stories I've heard they would run trips down Gore that would stop at one of the larger, cleaner formations and the clients would hike up and rappel down.

Otherwise Gore has seen a little attention from various boaters (it has it's own page on MP now, with a nice video of some boat&climb action) but it definitely has a ton of untapped potential still waiting to be discovered. Those able to aid/climb decently hard could probably find some cool lines. The wall above Gore rapid is pretty huge and has a number of cool looking corner/crack systems running up it.

I'd like to explore more of the climbing potential in the canyon (and run some fun whitewater) over the summer so hit me up if you're ever in the area, I've got a little raft we could bomb down in!

-Eric (summertime BLM river ranger on the Upper C)

I live in lakewood Colorado right now. Where's the upper C? Fucking sweet your a river Ranger, I'm kinda jealous. I haven't rafted too much, but class 3 maybe a 4 in a little rodeo raft. I definitely could get into rafting alot more. Plus it's hard to turn down river rats margaritas. Hahs. i work for the school system so weekends, holidays and summer off.

DMarti wrote:I live in lakewood Colorado right now. Where's the upper C? Fucking sweet your a river Ranger, I'm kinda jealous. I haven't rafted too much, but class 3 maybe a 4 in a little rodeo raft. I definitely could get into rafting alot more. Plus it's hard to turn down river rats margaritas. Hahs. i work for the school system so weekends, holidays and summer off.

Sweet! I've got a friend who's a teacher, doesn't seem like a bad way to live. The Upper Colorado is the stretch from Hot Sulphur Springs/Kremmling to I-70 or so.

When does your Ranger gig start?

DMarti wrote:When does your Ranger gig start?

Usually the beginning of May but it's indefinitely on hold right now until the federal hiring freeze is worked out. Gore doesn't become runnable (for sane people) until about August though usually.

About april all the rivers get stupud fast.