Last week in Eagle County everyone was feeling the low water blues. Cold weather throughout the state dropped flows out, to either unrunnable or super low flows. With the Teva Mountain Games just around the corner it was frustrating to have no home court advantage. Homestake Creek was around 30 cfs (a minimum of 75 cfs is needed) so the local crew and I stuck to the lower section of the Eagle river called Gilman Gorge. Flows were low but nothing was going to stop us from kayaking on the first sunny day we’d seen in weeks. I brought the GoPro along and kept in in 3 burst camera mode for some fun wide-angle shots with the crew. Check em out.

Enjoying that CO sunshine in our new Kind Design T’s

Now Isaac Levinson is in town, flows are coming up quick, and it’s off to start training. Be sure to watch for Isaac gunning for that top spot in the Homestake race this Thursday at Red Cliff. I will be putting my money on him for sure.

After heading up for a sweet day at the Boxes Brianne and I went to the next drainage over for an awesome camp site right at the base of Vallecito Creek. It feels good to have everything you need with you at all times in the rig. We had a nice fire to keep warm and are figuring out this camp cooking thing. The cold winter storms that seem to keep coming weekly kept the flows pretty low. I think everyone in the state of CO is ready for some sunny days and warmth to get the rivers going. The gauge in the morning read 1.9ish and that meant the door was just open to drop in. This fall I was told there was a really significant wind event through this area. There was definitely trees strewn all over the place within the gorge. Some seemed well anchored and easy to get around, while others are just waiting for that high water to wash downstream and get in our way. The locals have done a good job of keeping the flow clean but it will be a constant battle this spring to get them out after high waters shift them. We went in the next day at around 2ft and pulled a log out that moved during the night, below fuzzy bunny. So; be careful out there and keep an eye out for wood.

Brianne hiked in and got some great shots from the rim of the gorge and I put together a GoPro edit. I switched up the style a bit since I shot footage from Vallecito last year in my Driven project. Check it out, it’s less than 2 minutes long. Tell me what you think of it.

Here is local Reece Hanson dropping into entrance falls.

Cruise Quenelle in the long boat.

And me in the run out of Trashcan.

Just got home from another awesome spring kick off down in Durango. I love heading down there early and paddling with the sick locals that have some of the best creeking in Colorado at their fingertips. I know I’ll leave Durango pumped and in better shape from the hiking than if I started anywhere else. The locals down here are awesome boaters. I was lucky to run into Matt Wilson and some instructors from 4 Corners that have all the beta on the committing gorges near by. First day driving down did not make me feel welcome as we went over the passes with over a foot of snow on the ground.

Rolling in too late to head into the mountains for a creek run I hopped in the newly renovated Durango whitewater park. They added, or adjusted the very top feature and made it more balanced. You could bounce a little and spin. Below that is a new feature above Corner Pocket. It had a fun and mellow foam pile and the left side surged up and you could even throw blunts off the corner. It was unexpected that such a small corner could be so playful. Here is the new entrance wave and feature above corner pocket in that order.

While playing in the park I met up with Matt and we made a plan to head up for the Durango Boxes the next day. I’ve been dying to get up to this very special place for some time now. With a local guide is really the only way down and I couldn’t have asked for a better crew than Matt, Cruise, Eric, and Alex all ready to charge. The flow was around 650cfs which seemed pretty ideal. The whitewater within the gorge is not the scariest or hardest rapids you’ll come across but being several hundred feet down in a gorge, lots of siphons, and no scouting keeps you on your game, but having a blast. After the first lap we were not yet satisfied so Alex Hotze got us fired up for another non-stop eddyless trip down. Here are a couple screen shots from the day and I made a little POV edit with my GoPro too. Haven’t done a pure POV edit in a while but check it out and enjoy.

Taking a break after the portage climb up.

One of the sweet boofs within the gorge.

One of the siphon sneaks.

And here is the short video from the day. Watch it!

DON’T FORGET TO BUY YOUR RAFFLE TICKET TO HELP FIRST DESCENTS. HIT THE “HOME” BUTTON AND LEARN MORE. RAFFLE WILL BE HELD MEMORIAL DAY AT PADDLE FEST IN BUENA VISTA. DON’T HAVE TO BE PRESENT TO WIN. $10

This summer be prepared for FREE, thats right, a FREE web series all about anything and everything kayak related. Follow a group of passionate kayakers on their journeys to beautiful places and awesome adventures. This 5 part web series will have it all. If you don’t like great kayaking, cool places, and good stories DRIVEN probably isn’t for you. But if you do. Sit back, continue to check in, and enjoy DRIVEN.

Here is the teaser made from some of last years antics. Filming begins today in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina.

Driven Teaser from ross herr on Vimeo.

Kayaking is a lifestyle and a sport. The people you meet, the places you go, and the things you do all drive you in some way. Follow this story and find out, what drives us.

A free 5 part web series.

Premiering April, 2010

kayakingRoss.com

Please enjoy and leave feedback if there is something you want to see. Special thanks to Liquidlogic kayaks and Stohlquist Waterware for making it happen.

Ross Herr