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Low-flow season gives new perspective to whitewater voyages
Autumn kayaking on the Arkansas has its own special rewards. PHOTO BY DUSTIN URBAN.
Fall is the time to explore glacier-sculpted boulders that are hidden by peak spring and summer flows in the Arkansas River. PHOTO BY DUSTIN URBAN.
By Summit Voice
SUMMIT COUNTY — Summer may be over, but the paddling season in Colorado can last all year, according to Buena Vista kayaker and community builder Dustin Urban, who loves exploring the Arkansas River around his home during the low-flow season.
Along with his dad, Phil Urban, Dustin recently explored the river and found good class three-ish creaking on the section between Pine Creek and Buena Vista, where the river was flowing at about 200 cubic feet per second.
The father-son pair said it’s amazing how much fun you can have boating water that’s flowing at 150 cfs on a section that sees flows of 4,000 cfs during peak runoff in June.
Here’s an excerpt from the Live from South Main Blog:
“Boating is a spiritual pursuit for many of us, and ELFing gives us a unique opportunity to experience a new aspect of the rio. At ELF flows we are paddling in the guts of the river’s channel. Large rocks that are covered at high or even medium flows now loom overhead. Most of the rocks on the Ark are rounded by the tumbling caused by glaciers and high water, but there are some large rocks that haven’t moved perhaps since being deposited by the last glaciers 10,000 years ago.”
Please click here to see the rest of the story by Phil Urban and the stunning river photos by Dustin Urban.
Filed under: photography, rivers, Summit County Colorado Tagged: | Arkansas River, Buena Vista, kayaking, South Main neighborhood Buena Vista, Summit County Colorado, Summit County News
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I recently rafted down the Arkansas (1st week of June 2010) when a lot of the rocks were covered by all the water. I read your article as well as the Urban’s on the south main co web page. Seeing the river and all of its surroundings fly by during white water rafting, I would LOVE to see it at a much slower speed via ELFing. Absolutely beautiful. Keep up the good work. –Kevin (Dallas TX)