CANCELLED due to High Water: South Platte River – Brighton to Ft. Lupton

Meet at 8:30 am at Veterans Park in Brighton.  That’s just west of hwy 85 and east of the river.  Set up your boats and be ready to shuttle at 9 am.

Description: 9 miles of Class I to Class I+ river, generally with good current.  Expect headwinds in the afternoon.

Potential Hazards:

• Hypothermia from cold water.  Bring a complete change of clothes in a dry bag
• Strainers – cottonwood trees that have fallen from the bank may block the entire channel and can pin boaters underwater (drowning hazard)
• Other obstacles like bridge abutments and rocks to avoid in order to keep from capsizing.

This is generally considered a ‘beginner’ level trip and it usually is, but high water can change that.

Mat won’t take too many beginners and is looking for a reasonable mix of experienced and beginner paddlers. The exact number isn’t set but will depend on who signs up.

The river has 2 main ‘obstacles’ to be passed.

• The first one is a rock dam with a boat chute that has tipped over paddlers.  It’s generally run on center right, however it may be advisable to portage this.
• The second is a concrete dam roughly halfway down.  This is a required portage, and usually the lunch stop.

This is an ACA-sanctioned event requiring either an ACA membership or a single-event ACA membership fee  of $5 per person, due at the put-in. Adherence to ACA trip rules is required.

This link should take you to a write-up from the Boulder Outdoor Center for this trip:

Contact Mat for further information or to sign up!  NOTE: Mat will be unavailable during the month of April.  E-mail will not work after April 3rd.  Contact Mat by phone after May 1st!