Today I started alone and paddled in beautiful weather for six miles through very flat water. It is obvious from the floating debris that the river is reaching the highest level it has for some time. The Blue River, also running very high, joined from the north and it appeared to double the size of the Colorado. A lone fox watched as I passed.

The serenity of the calm water, sounds of wildlife and smells of new growth gave way to the roar and mist of over two thousand cubic feet per second of water dropping precipitously in Gore Canyon. This is a popular place for expert kayakers when the river has a less than fourth of the water it has today; I can’t imagine a person alive (and who wants to stay that way) trying it at this level.

Consequently I carried my kayak about three miles to a point where it appeared the worst of the maelstrom had ended. It still was mostly white water, and I was doing fine until I rounded a bend and dropped into a hole created by two large boulders in the middle of the current. I stayed upright but had to fight hard to get free of the recirculating boils.

I don’t remember being so happy to see people fishing from the shore shortly downstream; it meant I was nearing Pumphouse, a recreation area frequented by campers, boaters and fishermen (and women).

Below Pumphouse the river mellowed considerably, although there were some rapids in a canyon known as Little Gore. On this stretch there were many rafts full of people enjoying the stunning scenery and fine weather.

At a place called Radium, which consists of a few buildings apparently built as a depot for the railroad that passes through, I once again met my family along with two friends from my High School days, Steve O’Dell and Steve Tautz. Steve O’Dell will turn fifty on Saturday so this meeting served as a commencement to the beginning of the start of a pre-party.

With the skies threatening and a few drops of rain falling, we all boarded a sixteen-foot paddle raft and floated away. There was only one rapid, called Yarmony, necessary to stop and scout. We did fine through it and the weather cleared as we made our way through a series of smaller riffles and rapids to a place known as State Bridge at about 5 pm.

The day’s mileage was almost twenty five. I don’t know the exact elevation at State Bridge, but it must be around 6,700, bringing today’s descent to about 700, most of which occurred in Gore Canyon.

Since the Blue River passes through two major reservoirs, Lake Dillon and Green Mountain Reservoir, its water was warmer than the Colorado’s. This brought the water temperature up to 52 degrees, which still feels cold to me.