Cache La Poudre, CO

Upper Mishawaka

Upper Mishawaka
Photo of Twin Pin Rapid at 3.5 feet by Brad Goettemoeller (www.allaboutrivers.com) @ 3.5 feet

River Description

Check out their description of this reach.

This is the most challenging stretch of water below the Narrows. Most of the rapids are of the III/IV variety and can be read on the run. The first rapid of consequence is Tunnel Rapid(IV). Here the river has forceful waves and hydraulics before the current slams into a large undercut wall on the left. Obviously, the rapid is located right next to a hwy tunnel. Shortly downstream there is an excellent squirt spot on river left, it's so good it's called the U.S.S.(Ultimate Squirt Spot). Directly up-river from the Mishawaka Inn is its eponymous rapid, Mishawaka Falls(IV). Mishiwaka in is overrun by Hippies and/or bikers in the summer. At times it is like a Phish concert and/or Hells Angels rally.

To get there: The put-in is at Steven's Gulch Access, a very nice improved picnic area/launch site with changing rooms. The take-out is at the Mishawaka Inn, here you can have a beer with greasy food while you enjoy the biker and/or hippy odors.

See Colorado Rivers and Creeks II, by Banks and Eckardt (The Bible), for info on this and most of the other kewl runs of Colorado.

Lat/longitude coords are approximate, from TopoZone.

See also,

Big South (Class V/VI),
Joe Wright Creek (Class V),
Spencer Heights (Class V/VI),
South Fork (Class IV/V),
White Mile Run/Upper Rustic (Class III),
Grandpa's Gorge/Lower Rustic (Class III/IV),
The Narrows (Class IV/V/V+),
Upper Mishawaka (Class III/IV),
Lower Mishiwaka (Class III),
Poudre Park (Class IV),
Bridges (Class III/IV),
Upper North Fork (Class IV/V),
Lower North Fork (Class II/III), and
Filter Plant (Class III).