02. Gore Canyon

Gore Canyon is one of the most beloved and classic runs in the state. The whitewater is continuous and the run is in a quality setting in a beautiful and scenic canyon that parallels the railroad. Gore is a great run to test your paddling and a fantastic training ground for aspiring Class V paddlers. The run starts out with a 45-minute flatwater paddle towards the mouth of the canyon. It is advised to stash your dry gear in the back of your boat for this paddle in as it gets rather hot under the Kremmling sun and you'll be moving on lake water. Once you reach the mouth of the canyon you will see a large boulder on river left dubbed 'Change Rock' where you can put your gear on and get ready for the run ahead. Please stay in your boat for the entirety of the float to the 'Change Rock'. The land on both sides of the river is private and you cannot get out on the river bank. From Change Rock you will peel out into some Class III which will lead you to the first major rapid, Applesauce. The river will come to a choke point with a horizon line and there is a large rock wall on the right to mark the entrance. The horizon line drops into a steep ramp that ends with a large boof at the bottom that you will want to boof right. This will land in a large pool and lead into some more boogie class III until the canyon opens up and you will see a large boulder on river right which marks the beginning of Gore rapid, the crux of the run. Eddy out behind the rock and scout from the railroad tracks (watch out for trains and railroad workers because they have a history of yelling at scouting boaters). There are four different lines to take through Gore rapid and they will be obvious from the scout but the two most commonly run are left left and the right hand sneak. For left left enter on river left and there will be a large right-hand boof with a large hole named ginger that sits close to the landing you'll want to miss. For the sneak enter on river right and follow the slot boof that lands in a small pool. Peel out and buckle up for the ride through the lower part of the rapid. Immediately below Gore is Scissors rapid with a big hole that you will want to boof on the right. Boogie water leads to Pyrite rapid where the river will choke on the right and you will see pyrite rock - boof left. Fantastic class IV boogie water leads to Tunnel rapid which can be identified by the second railroad tunnel after Pyrite. Eddy out on river left to scout. Tunnel is a notoriously tricky rapid that ends with a large, sloping drop into a river-wide hole. If you flip, the hole at the bottom will flush you out above 1,100 CFS and gets stickier with alternate flows. Below Tunnel rapid is more boogie water leading into the most dangerous rapid called Toilet Bowl. Toilet Bowl is a ledge boof with a violently powerful hole. The move is straight forward and not too difficult: there is a seam in the center that you will want to avoid. Be sure to nail this move as there are many horror stories about swims in this hole and getting roped out is common practice. Below Toilet Bowl rapid there is a beautiful beach on river left that's nice to step out of your boat and enjoy the day before the final rapid, Kirschbaum's. Kirschbaum is a fun, long, and technical class IV+ rapid. Following the main channel with read-and-run action. After Kirschbaum's is the paddle out to Pumphouse launch where you will take out river left. See Mike Albrecht's and Ed Hanson's photos of Gore Canyon. Shuttle Directions: One mile south of Kremmling head west on Trough Road (1 Rd). Take a right 1/2 mile down 1 Road before crossing the river to get to the put-in. The take-out is about 10 miles further down Trough Road at Pumphouse Campground. There is a small fee at Pumphouse to maintain the facilities. Reaches of the Colorado River: 01. Hot Sulphur Springs to Hwy 40 bridge (Byers Canyon) (CO, IV) 02. Gore Canyon (CO, IV-V) 03. Pumphouse campground to Rancho Del Rio (Pumphouse) (CO, III) 04. Hanging Lake Exit 125 (I-70) to Shoshone Power Plant Exit 123 (I-70) (Barrel Springs) (CO, IV-V \[V+\]) 05. Shoshone Power Plant, Exit 123 (I-70) to Grizzly Creek, Exit 121 (I-70) (Shoshone) (CO, III-IV) 06. Cameo Dam (Big Sur / Lucky 7) (CO, III) 07. Loma to Westwater (Ruby / Horsethief Canyons) (CO-UT, II) 08. Westwater to Rose Ranch (Westwater Canyon) (UT, I-IV) 09. Cisco (Rose Ranch) to Moab (Professor Valley) (UT, I-III) 10. Moab to Powell Reservoir (Cataract Canyon) (UT, I-IV) 11. Lees Ferry to Lake Mead (Grand Canyon) (AZ, I-V) 12. Black Canyon (AZ-NV, I)