\*Note there is a new takeout. Details at the end of the description.
The Upper South Boulder Creek is a beautiful section of Colorado Class V that will keep your attention for this section as the chill flat pace of the creek in Pinecliffe is not what awaits you around the corner downstream.
USB has an uncharacteristic section of water at put-in with a concrete channel piping you straight into the first snaking Class V rapid.
Trainspotting Rapid: Entering this drop from the center and snaking your way left to stay off the sharp and blasted rock from the right wall proves about a 30' drop in as many feet downstream. After Trainspotting, you get a brief chance to collect pieces and parts. Collect debris on the center right island.
In the area after Trainspotting, be sure that your crew is in good communication and in tight formation with a plan to catch the eddies on the right after the creek entrance on river right.
The run gets remote quickly after the water runs directly into a wall on river left at the Gash.
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P )\\\* Portage river right.
While there, please pay respects to a fellow Colorado legendary boater, Paul Zirkelbach whom lost his life here. Keep your group tight and pay attention.
Many people have run the Gash, and it used to be run regularly. There is an underwater sieve that is extremely dangerous and is why it doesn't get run anymore. It's not really worth the risk.
After Gash, there is about a 1/2 mile of continous boogie water before S-Turn. S-turn is a great rapid immediately followed by LZ, which is a portage. Scout your takeout eddy below S-turn and take out on the right to portage LZ.
The remainder of the run has more hair and loads of unique features, good beefy ledges and tight twisting Colorado creekin'. The action really gets going after LZ. Everything is runnable down to the reservoir. There are lots of drops in this section and the last major rapid is called Rimby. Rimby is about 200 yards of non stop class 5 with a gorgeous 8 foot boof in the middle of it which is one of the highlights of the section. Scout on river right.
Keep your eyes open on this run, the Felis Concolor (the mountain lion) calls this turf home. Wood moves around a lot and can show up anywhere.
The run has a few eddies and some must make moves. Go with someone who knows the run your first time.
This not a run for anyone less than a seasoned Class V Colorado hair-boater.
The take out is a long haul across Gross Reservoir. Pray for tailwind.
Expect a busy day on the river, and do not be surprised if somebody looses some gear on this run.
To Get There: The put-in is at Pinecliffe on Highway 72(Coal Creek Canyon). Due to the Gross Reservoir expansion, there is a new takeout as of 2024. The takeout is at Winiger ridge campground on the opposite side of the reservoir from the old Campground. There are a few technical sections on the road so 4 wheel drive is recommended. To get to the takeout from Pinecliffe, drive west on hwy 72 and turn right on county road 97. Then turn right on Magnolia road. Then turn right on County Road 68. Pass the Forsythe canyon trailhead and continue to follow signs to Gross Reservoir. This next section is where 4x4 is ideal. There is a parking lot at the end of the road which is about a 5-10 minute hike up from the lake. Here is a map link to the campground.
https://maps.apple.com/place?address=Forest%20Service%20Road%20359,%20Nederland,%20CO%2080466,%20United%20States&coordinate=39.948868,-105.372205&name=Gross%20Reservoir&place-id=I563B1F1963B4095B&map=h
For descriptions of Colorado runs, see *Whitewater of the Southern Rockies* by Stafford and McCutchen, or *Colorado Rivers and Creeks* by Banks and Eckert.
Lat/longitude coords are approximate, from TopoZone.
The various reaches of Boulder Creek,
Jasper Creek (Class V+/VI),
The Source (Class V),
Upper Boulder Canyon (Class V/V+),
Lower Boulder Canyon (Class IV),
Boulder Town Run (Class II/III),
North Fork Boulder (Class V+/VI),
Alto-Alto (Class IV),
Upper South Boulder (Class V+/VI),
Lower South Boulder (Class IV/V+/VI),
Eldorado Canyon (Class V+).