The Bottom Four
EddyFlower - Kayaking information for the addicted.EddyFlower - Kayaking information for the addicted.
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The Bottom Four   

Run Length 1 mile Average Gradient 205 fpm
Difficulty Class V+ Recommended Flow
River Lake Creek Location Buena Vista, Colorado
Author Nick Wigston Current Level  
Drainage Arkansas Elevation 9445ft to 9240ft
 
Kiss The Wall
Paddler:Jed Selby    Photographer:Jahvea Vidakovich
This section starts a little above The Brain. It is located at the entrance to a gorge. Scout from either bank. The right bank involves some scrambling to get to the top of the gorge. You can also pre-scout this drop before you put-in. The brain is a gnarly double drop. There is a folding seam above the first drop. Start in the eddy on river left and charge over the seam to the right side of the drop. Boof far right over the hole and skirt the second hole on the right. Both holes are big, but the first one is the sticky one.

Paralyzer comes very soon, so don’t swim here. It's about 100 yards downstream so you do have some time. There is an eddy on the left where you can scout or portage the Paralyzer. The Paralyzer is a long, turbulent, gnarly rapid, which constricts into a pourover at the end. The meat is right down the middle of the froth, and avoiding the large painful piton rock in the middle. Good Luck. There is also a sneak on river right, which consists of two steep boofs. The sneak ends in the same constriction as the meat. The sneak is not as easy as most sneak routes, as it still requires some aggressive paddling.

Located immediately downstream of Paralyzer is the next named rapid, Kiss the Wall, also known as Whale Tail. It is best characterized by a large curling wave that sends the less powerful boater smashing into the river left wall. Enter on the right and drive over the curler as hard as you can.

There is some class IV-V boogie water between here and the Cauldron. The cauldron is the best rapid on the run, and one of the best drops in the state. You can easily pre-scout this rapid from a pullout on Highway 82. However, the view from the left bank is quite different. The cauldron is located where the river makes a left turn and constricts to about six feet wide while dropping fifteen feet. Enter right down the middle, keep bracing and hold on. You will be rendered blind until you pop up in the pool below. Paddle hard around the next turn and you are home free. The Cauldron is much easier than it looks. If you stay upright, it will funnel you right to where you need to be.

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