With the Dolores flowing again this year due to a massive snowpack, i, like many others, jumped at the opportunity to get on it! below is a non-chronological account of some of my experiences
McPhee dam to Bradfield
There is minimal information on this section, BUT there is a road that parallels it the whole way! A brief line in a guidebook suggested CL1+, and because we had changed plans a few times this was an easy way to extend a trip. We drove up and put in at a dispersed camping site about as close to the dam as is legal. Even this close to the dam, the water was cloudy suggesting that the reservoir had experienced a truely outstanding runoff season. The float down to Bradfield was easy and straightforward. No cross-river hazards but a few sections that the trees were hanging well into the river course. Despite years of almost non-existant flows, the river corridor looked surprisingly healthy. This was definitely the least scenic section of river i did this year, in a sloping gorge with little exposed rock, but was still well worth doing at least once. After about 13 miles and ~2 hours of moderately fast, splashy CL1+/2- water we returned to the bradfield bridge.
Bradfield to Dove Creek
By far my facorite secton of the Dolores, and possibly the best Cl2+ run i have done yet, this section was stunning. There is a lot of information on this section out there already. My experience was about 7 miles of mediocore canyon and relatively flat water that abruptly changed to continuous wave trains, 2+ rapids, and absolutely amazing rock walls in a deep gorge lined by gorgeous ponderosas, everything that i love. It was almost too much fun. I wouldnt heasitate to return when this section flows again. We stayed the night at the Box Elder Campground. What a place! It took us ~3 hours to continue downstream from Bradfield to take out at the campground with flows at ~1200.
Slickrock to Bedrock
I ran this as a multiple night overnight trip. At the time, the slickrock boatramp was closed, but one advantage of packrafts is you can get in and out wherever it is public land. I found a spot a few mile supstream that was BLM and put in there with Davis and Jennifer. We took 1 night to float from slickrock to Gypsum (only about 4 total floating hours at ~2200 cfs). The section was scenic if relatively flat, with some private land, signs of past uranium mining use, and the usual desert rock layers. This section definitely sees less traffic than up or downstream sections, and many of the campsites had overgrown landings and were starting to be reclaimed by invasives. While exploring around camp, i even found an old microblade, who knows how long it had been there and if anyone else had found it, but with habitation in the area dating back thousands of years it could very well be wuite old. It was a nice warm up section with a roadside CL2 just above the boatramp. Our layover at the boatramp (which was expected to be ~a few hours) ended up lasting the night. Expecting Lindsay and some other friends who would be in a 16ft raft to meet us by early afternoon, we set up under one of the shade structures and waited... and waited... and waited. Eventually around 4-5 pm lindsay showed up but without out other friends and the boats. I guess they had taken some dirt road (instead of the easy highway, for some reason) and had to backtrack. They eventually showed up around last light. I was a bit frustrated, but i guess i should have been more explicit in trip planning and specified driving routes to take more clearly.
We put in at gypsum the following morning in between many other groups, including a large group of packrafters. Once in the canyon, however, our frustration melted away. The canyon was beautiful, narrow, and what i would describe as the epitome of an easy and scenic desert river trip complete with sweeping views, red rock, a thin strip of green around the river, and signs of past inhabitants. We topped about 2/3rds of the way through to camp. Not one to just sit around all day, Lindsay and i went up a steep drainage behind camp to see if we could make it to the rim. We didnt, but we did make it to a high point. The view from above is almost always worth the effort. On the way back down we even found an arrowhead!
Of note, the guidebooks mentioned this section as having a few CL3 rapids and many CL2s. We saw nothing harder than an easy CL2, certainly much easier than the Ponderosa gorge section. Worth the trip regardless though.
Rico to Dolores
For the first weekend in June, Lindsay, Andrew and I were originally planning on floating Bradfield all the way to slickrock, however the morning of the trip Lindsay wasnt feeling up to it. Instead, Andrew and i called an audible, continued with the trip but did the alpine section above Mcphee instead. There is a bit of info out there on this section but it is generally limited to just the Stoner section around Stoner, Co.
Andrew and i met up in Dolores, dropped a car (noting that we would coincidentally be in town for Dolores River Fest if we made good time) and drove up to Rico where we would put in, scouting along the way. In Rico, it was rainy and cold and almost dinner time so we of course went to the bar to grab some food before heading out. By the time we started out, the sun had re-emerged and we could soak in the beautiful mountian views. A short ~10 mile float (about an hour) took us to a campsite for the night. It was a bit strange doing a long roadside section where we camped at a dispersed car camp site. The upper section was fun, very fast, with a short bedrock box canyon section, and super senic.
The next morning we started early and got right in to the fast clear and COLD water. After a quick snack break at the usual daily put in (bear creek bridge) we hit the main event rapids of the upper dolores, the "stoner section" The surf waves were super fun, among the biggest waves i have boated yet. Shortly after there was a significant diversion dam that we had identified as the main hazard, but was reasonably run on far river left. Downstream the river generally eased but the large wavetrains continued all the way into town. In town we showed up to the river fest in full swing, dried out our gear and went over to enjoy the music, grab some food and beers. Pretty good for a super last minute change in plans! The whole section could likely be done in a long day (something close to 40 miles?) with 800 on the guage in Rico and 2000 on the guage in Dolores.
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