03. 3rd Gorge

This run is usually done along with a piece of the Upper Animas through Rockwood Box. If this run is flowing, then Rockwood will be high / higher flows. The total length of 3rd Gorge Lime + Animas Through Rockwood = 10.5miles. It's a decent day trip. This is one of the best days of paddling around Durango if 3rd gorge has proper flows. It's not the stoutest...yet it offers spectacular views, a variety of paddling from a small thumping creek to big water Rockwood Box, and is a full day. As with most Durango runs, a decent approach hike is required although this one is all downhill :) Drive to Purgatory ski area and park across the street by the lake. The access trail is directly across from the parking lot. Follow a small creek down an obvious trail. 3rd Gorge is primarily grade IV except for one rapid called Land Slide. It'll be your first obvious horizon line as you paddle downstream. A one boat eddie on the left allows paddlers to get out and scout the drop. Stage upstream and give your mates a chance to get out. You can portage the entrance sequence and put in at a small eddie on the left to run the rest of the drop. Or just send the entrance and enjoy. Be on the lookout for wood in this run due to the narrow gorge and frequent treefall. After Land Slide the run remains grade IV read and run. Be on the lookout for a ledge drop in the middle of the run. There's a stout hole on the right that gives a good beat down and is very difficult to escape. A swim here would result in your boat making the long trip alone to the Animas...and you most likely doing a very difficult hike out to your car...which would suck and be brutal. This rapid can be scouted. The rest of the run is fun grade IV. Once on the Animas, enjoy 6 miles of big water grade III/IV paddling with the occasional mini gorge to spice things up. The Rockwood Box will be obvious. The walls rise and you paddle under the train bridge. If 3rd gorge was pumping, the Rockwood Box will be high and grade IV/V. If you don't know the high water lines, pass under the train bridge and eddie out river right for a scout. Hike up to the tracks and hike downstream for a look at Mandatory Thrashing, the 1st rapid in the gorge and the one that dishes out a lot of punishment. The scout doesn't reveal the whole rapid, mainly just the lead in and a little bit of the crux. It's enough to get a feeling for the line. After Mandatory, enjoy some fantastic paddling for a couple of miles. Look for a sign on river right 'Take Out'. Exit the canyon here on an obvious trail back up top. Rockwood Depot Update: The Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has moved operations north to Rockwood 7 days a week. This means no trespassing or parking during business hours. You cannot leave a shuttle vehicle here. Find a shuttle driver or park outside the train yard somewhere. Find a good parking spot. Park off the road. Don't screw this up for others because of your short sightedness. Things are tenuous down here and we're working on a solution. Don't be a FRD. If you've paddled through Rockwood and are taking out, you can use the trail to access the parking lot just don't hike along the tracks through 'the cut'. Use the trail that ascends the hill lookers left of the tracks. Then hike out across the left parking quickly and politely. Be nice. Keep your comments to yourself no matter what you hear.