The Gunnison River is really high right now, and I'm wondering about the feasibility of kayaking it at these huge flows. Everyone I know has only kayaked it at much lower flows.

I'd be really curious to check out any recent pictures (like the last 3 weeks) from the area upstream of the Painted Wall (or anywhere in the canyon for that matter). Anyone heading for the Black in the near future wanna get some beta pics for me?

Thanks!

Yeah, like, I don't mean to be a buzz kill... but I don't think so! You should talk with what's his name up in CB.

I definitely mean I don't think it'll be runnable, I've been in there during a normal spring and it's absolutely insane looking, I have run some big water Class V too and it doesn't look anything like the Black when it's ragin'. You can get a great look if you drive to either rim and look down there with binoculars too. Good luck if you do go, be sure to post some pics.

I think a lot is dependent on what they are letting out of the dam. I've been down there when there was very little water and when there's lots of it. I won't get near a kayak let alone get in one but my wife is more burly than any Black Canyon climber and she has run the Black in her little blue Dagger. She tells me there's several big time portages. That must be pleasant with all the poison ivy. You put in at east portal.

Before driving down to the east portal with your boat and a serious case of cottonmouth, I would troll a bit on mountainbuzz.com. Some of the Montrose folks and other people who have done it at an array of flows follow the general message board. Flows on the Gunny are projected to be super high...possibly getting up to the 10,000 cfs range this year since the snowpack is so high. I doubt if you will be able to boat it before this fall.

CC