Shaneslogic

Upper Animas

The Put In Is A Stunning Setting

This all started at a bar the night before. I think that many things good and bad have started with a discussion at a bar. Over Margaritas we were trying to decide what to paddle next and it came up that almost none of us had run the Upper Animas before. Others in the crowd decided that that was a travesty and that it needed to happen.

Paddling Into The Gorge

So that is how we ended up putting on the Upper Animas at 1:00 pm. If you don’t know the Upper Animas it is 26+ miles of continuous class 2-3 most of the way with some continuous class 3-4 thrown in there and couple drops that you should scout. This drop called No Name is the hardest drop on the run. Not a major major rapid but super fun with some funky twisty stuff in the middle.

Woody In No Name, Styled It

Jennifer In No Name

We stopped for a quick peanut butter sandwich after No Name. We still had a long way to go. Luckily the day was classic Colorado Blue Bird so we had good sun almost the entire trip.

The sceneary is really unbelievable on this run. I constantly found myself saying wow. This was a pretty typical scene. Big peaks, or tight little canyon, small tucked in valleys, all kinds of awesome sceneary.

This run would be an awesome overnighter. From what I understand people use the train to drop gear off mid way down the run and they will leave it for you and then pick it up if you arrange it at the train station in Durango.

The sun went behind the mountains while we were still on the river and that was when we noticed how cold the river was. With just a couple miles and the Rockwood box left to paddle we jumped out at the last spot of sunshine up on the side of a hill. Soaked it in and jumped back in the boats for a very cool romp through another box canyon. The Rockwood Box is alot like the Bakers Box. This section is super tight, a little pushy, and few fun rapids but not as hard as the Bakers Box.

Hiking Out At Rockwood Box

By the time we finished the semi epic shuttle for the run the sun had gone down but we were treated to the full moon coming up over the peaks near Silverton.

Moon Rise Over Molas Pass

Bottom Box Again

We woke up on our second day the water hadn’t started to rise yet so we needed to find another run that would work with less water. So its back to the Bakers Box. I had done this run last year with Dunbar Hardy at pretty high water. It was incredible and a little fiesty.

Here is the Video from last years run. Bakers Box 2005

This year the water was a little lower and more managable for a larger group. We called up Billy and Aaron, a couple of transient kayaker types who had been sleeping on the couches of all the Liquidlogic staff. We also got old schooler Andy Corra who had run this years and years and years ago to join us, and that put the pressure on Woody to join us for the run. So with Jenn and I that made 6 people in the gorge. Which worked great especially at this slightly lower water level. It was a perfect level for taking first timers in.

The whole thing starts with a mile walk in across private property. Very sketchy access so please please please make sure that you talk to a local before you get on this run.

After the walk its a 100 foot climb, lower, down to the river. The climb is a little sketchy especially if you aren’t a rock person. Most folks put in below the first rapid and then jump in. The first drop is a slide over the middle of a large rock filling most of the river with holes on either side. No problem but sketchy looking.

After that the rapids get a little pushy but are mostly broken with good pools at this level. One that stands out is called the Plunge I think. About a 8- 10 foot sloper into super boily water.

This is the Long Rapid. The only really long extended rapid. For the most part this section is drop pool and can take a fair amount of water but if something goes wrong your boat is going a long way. We ran into a guy who had lost a boat on his trip and had to paddle an extra 10 miles or so to catch it. The Box is only 3 miles I think so dude got a little extra training in.

There are a couple places where the river is no wider than the boat is long and it is truly a stunning place.

The run went great no issues. The old school styled it. The new school styled it. Jen styled it and I didn’t swim.

Here is the video from this year.
Bakers Box 2006

Day 3 coming soon.
Shane