Glenwood Canyon
Slicing through the White River Plateau in west-central Colorado, Glenwood Canyon is the result of the Colorado River cutting down as a massive uplift of the Earth's crust rose underneath it. The canyon itself has become a beautiful treasure for Colorado, with a beautiful river sluicing through the bottom, with a road and a railroad framing it between the canyon walls. Comprised mostly of Leadville Limestone and Precambrian Quartzite, the canyon can be broken down into several smaller segments, as each section possesses it's own unique characteristics that set it apart from the others.
The entire canyon complex is about 25 miles long, and stretches from Dotsero in the east to New Castle in the west. Completion of Interstate 70 was stymied for a long time through this stretch because of it's ruggedness, although in the 1990's the project to push a highway through as unobtrusively as possible was completed, and the result is actually quite breathtaking, with the road snaking through the canyon in a surprisingly decent manner. In fact, once you are on the river in this stretch it's easy to forget the road is right there, with cars whizzing by at 65 mph.
The entire canyon complex is about 25 miles long, and stretches from Dotsero in the east to New Castle in the west. Completion of Interstate 70 was stymied for a long time through this stretch because of it's ruggedness, although in the 1990's the project to push a highway through as unobtrusively as possible was completed, and the result is actually quite breathtaking, with the road snaking through the canyon in a surprisingly decent manner. In fact, once you are on the river in this stretch it's easy to forget the road is right there, with cars whizzing by at 65 mph.
Dotsero to Hanging Lake
The easiest of the floats in the canyon, this is essentially a flat water cruise with one class II rapid thrown in. It's easy and can be done.
Hanging Lake to Shoshone Power Plant - "Barrel Springs"
Shoshone Power Plant to Grizzly Creek - "Shoshone"
One of the quintessential Colorado runs, this is a super fun blast of class III that is a hoot of a time but ends too quickly. Fortunately, it is easily lap-able for solo boaters thanks to a bike path that sits next to the river. One of the most popular commercial runs in the state, Shoshone is probably second only to Brown's Canyon in terms of tourist numbers. Many a boater has been created and sharpened in the rapids of Shoshone as well, from tourists who get the whitewater bug to aspiring boaters stepping up their game to seasoned veterans looking to stay honest. Shoshone attracts them all and gives them what they want: a fun time.
From the moment you leave the ramp, you are into the rapids. Right off the bat several good sized rapids come at you in quick succession, starting with _______ and ____, followed by Tuttle's Tumble, a classic drop. The Wall comes up soon, a longer, hole-filled affair that winds through an S-bend in the river. A swim here can be less than fun. Tombstone is next, with the large namesake rock sticking up in the middle of the flow. A short spell and the last rapid, Maneater, comes into view. This is quite a sizeable drop, and it has some power to it. The holes have been to known to cause swims and once in a while issue a beatdown. If it weren't for the gigantic swimming pool below this rapid, it would be rated as a class III+ or a IV-. But instead it's just a super fun, wet thrill ride.
Shoshone is a a blast but at less than a mile long, it's just too dang short. If this run was two or three miles long it would be overrun more than it already is though, so it's kind of a win/loss situation really.
From the moment you leave the ramp, you are into the rapids. Right off the bat several good sized rapids come at you in quick succession, starting with _______ and ____, followed by Tuttle's Tumble, a classic drop. The Wall comes up soon, a longer, hole-filled affair that winds through an S-bend in the river. A swim here can be less than fun. Tombstone is next, with the large namesake rock sticking up in the middle of the flow. A short spell and the last rapid, Maneater, comes into view. This is quite a sizeable drop, and it has some power to it. The holes have been to known to cause swims and once in a while issue a beatdown. If it weren't for the gigantic swimming pool below this rapid, it would be rated as a class III+ or a IV-. But instead it's just a super fun, wet thrill ride.
Shoshone is a a blast but at less than a mile long, it's just too dang short. If this run was two or three miles long it would be overrun more than it already is though, so it's kind of a win/loss situation really.