Lower Clear Creek

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Run Length

5.5 miles

Average Gradient

85 fpm

Difficulty

Class IV

Recommended Flow

300-700 cfs

River

Clear Creek

Location

Golden, Colorado, United States

Author

Joshua Mack & Brian Adkins

Current Flow & Weather

114 cfs

N/A

Drainage

South Platte

Elevation

6160ft to 5835ft

Lower Clear Creek is a popular after work run for Denver locals and it can also be combined with the Black Rock section upstream to provide a full day for more advanced boaters. This run is normally pretty short and can be really short at high water. The take-out is the last bend/pull off above the damn.

The put-in for Lower Clear Creek is just below Rigor Mortis. The river boogies for a while and then drops into Elbow Falls. Elbow Falls is a steep little drop that actually forms a very sticky boxed-in hole at low water. If you get stuck in there <400 cfs, you will probably swim. Luckily, it is a safe swim into a flat pool so the only thing that you will hurt is your ego. This rapid actually gets easier with more water.

Further down, you encounter the second major rapid- Screaming Quarter Mile. This rapid is long, fun, and full of waves. Only the second drop forms a significant hole but even it is not a keeper. After the Screaming Quarter Mile peters out you will come to an old broken down dam. There is a good eddy on the left at most flows, but at really high flows be careful so you do not get swept in. The dam is ugly. It contains a keeper hole on the left at most levels, and it has sharp rocks and rebar at all levels. This drop is dangerous and really not that fun. The portage is on the left.

Flow Information:
Lower Clear Creek can run down to 200 cfs, but you must have a high tolerance for hitting sharp rocks. The riverbed is all blasted roadrock and it does not get covered up until the flows are above 400 cfs. More water is better on this run. Rumor has it that 1500 cfs is great. This would be a good choice if the Front Range runoff was at peak and the hard stuff was too high.

Clear Creek runs naturally but it runs late. Most of the snowpack is above 11,000 feet so it will not run until mid-May in most years. If there is a decent snowpack, it may run into early July.

Big thanks to CW for being our partner for the EddyFlower Vertical Challenge.

Elbow Falls

Paddler:Carina Fischer, Mackenzie Haugh, Cindy Kuznik

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Big Water

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Scream 1/4 Miles

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Elbow Falls

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	Put-In Put in below the bridge after Rigor Mortis Rapid, mile 267 of Highway 6.
	Elbow Falls (Mile 1.5) Class IV You have to chose between getting friendly with the rock wall on the right, and the large hydraulic on the left. Good cartwheel hole at the bottom.
	Screamin' 1/4 Mile (Mile 4.0) Class IV Very descriptive name, just follow the main flow and hang on for the ride!
	Diversion Dam (Mile 5.0) Class V- Sharp rocks in a nasty man-made drop. Unfortunately the portage is a pain in the butt. You can take out just upstream, but the best surf waves and the play park are just downstream...
	Clear Creek Whitewater Park (Mile 6.0) Class III A good man-made play park. As your leaving the canyon be heads up for when the creek splits around an island, make sure to take the right channel or you will enter a diversion.
	Take-Out Take out is at Tunnel #1 on Highway 6.

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Trip Report

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	Uncharacteristically high, proceed with caution.
	Powerful, pushy and unforgiving.
	Ideal flow conditions.
	Boney with potential for boat abuse.
	Not enough water to float a boat.
	Please let us know.
	No gauge, visual required.