Rio Grande
07. Quartzite River Access to County Line River Access(Pilar or Racecourse)
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportGlen Woody Bridge, about halfway down the Racecourse.
Pilot Rock appears on the right. Make sure to not let the wave train push you left of Thunderdome and into the Toilet Bowl; boats that bounce off of Pilot often end up in this predicament.
Massive boulder that fell from the canyon rim in 1991, punched a large hole in the highway, shattered a riverside boulder making Baby Huey bounce and land on the otherside of the river.
A great playspot for kayakers with a nice pool at the bottom. A steep, sagebrush-packed trail winds from the road down to the pool.
Big Rocks at moderate to low levels. The Ledge is on the far right and the Slot between the Ledge and Thunderdome Rock in the middle. To the left of Thunderdome is the tight pushy drop Toilet Boil (with it's recirculating hole at the bottom). The set-up eddy is bottom left.
Rocks appearing in the middle of a riffle just down stream of Quartzite River Access. Easily missed on the right. When the river is high enough a wave and hole forms providing an initiation splash before continuing downstream.
Named for the bumpy, shallow channels in the rapid. The rapid is typically run weaving between rocks mostly down the middle of the river.
Enter Saddle Rock left of center. At lower flows the river channelizes on the left and currents push boats into the large rock in the center.
Tricky rapid at low flows where boaters cross the currents from river left to river right and slip between the boulders in the center and then the boulders making the right channel. The middle channel is the 'Birth Canal', a very narrow passage known for catching boats. At moderate to high flows this rapid is easily ran through the left channel.
Beginning of a long stretch of whitewater. At moderate to high flows large standing waves make this a rollercoaster ride. At low flows the river channelizes nicely but the typical line swings from river right to river left and them returns to center leaving some tight weaving between rocks.
At low flows a short pool separates the Boulder Field and Dead Foot Falls. The rapid is entered right of center to center, and the typical line slides to left of center and left of the Fang (a.k.a. Nemesis Rock) that's in the center of the river (pictured on the left edge of the image). The current pushes boats into this rock!
Great playspot for kayakers and (at lower flows) for surfing rafts.
The is the last class III rapid beginning at Narrows; at high water this is the last part of Mile Long Rapid (class IV) that began back at Saddle Rock rapid.
Probably one of the more famous rapids on the run. At moderate flows the rapid is usually ran down the left channel. Rafts often surf the hole in the last drop at low-moderate to low flows. At high flows the rapid creates a near river-wide massive hole renowned for flipping boats.
Shallow section of river where the typical run is left of center during moderate flows. At low flows boaters move from river left to the center of the river down the channel that slips between the two rocks called the Horns (a.k.a. the Fangs).
Follows immediately at the end of the pool below Souse Hole. The typical channel is right of the island. Beware of a potential wrap rock in the run out of the rapid.
Ran on river left regardless of flow. Be alert of a boulder in the middle of the left channel where the large waves begin. Above this rapid shallow boulders presenting an interesting obstacle course before dropping into the rapid.
Purportedly named for Albert Einstein in the 1950s by kayakers who worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
There is a takeout on river left after Souse Hole. The river makes a sweep left hand turn after Souse Hile. At the end of this turn is where the takeout is. Taking out at this point eliminates about a mile with little gradient.
A fun run with some good play at just about any level...above 2000 cfs is a solid level...above 3000 Alberts is a mandatory scout due to a large river-wide hole. At high water, everything is pretty continuous with big random holes and waves, except for Big rocks, which washes out on the right channel. Souse can be easily avoided at any level as long as you hug the left bank. The most popular playspot is between Big Rocks and Souse, called Sleeping beauty. It plays better river right of the stack...
AT low and high wachet out for the left of big rock it is undercut
Watch out for sals [Souse (Hole)] at high water
Punching through the left side of the hole...