Whitewater Run CO Class III

01. Paonia Reservoir to below Somerset

Gunnison, North Fork

Linked via: Proximity 96% confidence Synced 3mo ago

Monitor

Gauge Conditions

North Fork Gunnison River near Somerset, Co. Downstream Primary

Runnable: 600.0 – 10,000.0 CFS

Optimal flows: 900-4,000 cfs as defined by the respondents to the 2013 Gunnison River Flow Survey

Data from American Whitewater & USGS

Run Map

Run Time Estimate

Put-in

Take-out

Select put-in and take-out to estimate time.

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Whitewater timing varies with scouting, portages, and group pace. Use as a planning baseline.

Description

See Banks and Eckardt, _Colorado Rivers & Creeks II_, which warns of a nasty rock weir below Somerset, as well as more hazards. Make sure you scout the takeout before your run. Fun rolling wave trains during the first few miles. At Somerset, the action picks up. A few piles of rock, and encroachment of industry, have created some excellent III+ whitewater. After Somerset, the pace cools down again. If you have scouted your takeout during the shuttle, avoiding the rock weir is no problem.

Difficulty

Class III

Length

7.2 mi

Gradient

41 ft/mi

Rapids