Hi,
The Colo and in particular the Grose seem to have gotten most of the rain, whilst the Nepean has largely missed out
The Grose has got around 50mm throughout the catchment, the Colo is more sporadic with around 50-80mm.
The Colo river heightis yet to budge much and I can’t find the Guage for the Grose.
The Kangeroo valley has got around 40mm and the river has shot up to around 1m (which is a good level) and is still on the way up. It rises and falls super quick, once the rain stops. I will keep an eye on it but it may be an option for tomorrow. As yet I haven’t gotten an takers so let me know if you are keen by email gus_d@hotmail.com, otherwise i will probably pull the pin.
Here’s a link to the last kangeroo trip I did with Darren if it wets anyones appetitie!
It never rains, but it pours hey Gus!
I was thinking of you and where you might end up! Would have been an interesting paddle from the Upper Colo bridge back down.
We did canoe to bobs yesterday riding the flood. Bloody amazing. The rapid below the king rapid was just turbulent water, not a rock in sight. The last rapid before bobs looked like death when we got there (walked it) I’ll give a write up later but it was awesome and I’m bloody sore.
Michael picked me up at 4 on friday, went to his house to get his stuff, back to my house as I forgot shoes and we were off. We were to meet David and Joyce at Bob Turners car park, leave michaels car and get dropped off at Canoe creek car park. A condition of this generous lift was we take an epirb. Never taken one before. Suprisingly seemless to pick up at Windsor cop shop. At Bob Turners it was pouring rain, it eased a bit at the drop off. Michael had forgot his rain coat. Joyce saved the day lending him her brand new one. We set tent, lit a fire, it bucketed down and went to sleep.
Next morning it was wet and got going bfore 8. We got down the colo canoe creek jumction and the water looked lowish but wading across it you could feel the flow. In the time it took us to get boats in the water the level was up 3cm on the stick we put in when we arrived. We had planned to do the trip over 2 days but it was an easy decision that this now had to get done as fast as possible. We had never done the canoe creek to wollongambe section before. Unreal. Waterfalls poring down big orange cliffs. We both came out on the second rapid. At this point the water wasn’t high but was flowing fast. Before the wollongambe a creek came in from the left that raised the level as did the wollongambe. By king rapid the water was really high… Somewhere in this section Michael had a wipe out and had his paddle stuck underwater. We for a bit thought we were truly fucked but managed (just) to retrive it.
After portaging king rapid, which was pumping we had lunch under a packraft in the tree awning. The sandy island in the pool below the rapid disappeared as we ate, maybe a 15min break.
Next rapid didn’t exist. Just high volume water.
Next rapid Michael made right to the last big wave and bought it. I bought it after the first big wave and rode it clinging one armed to a grab loop whilst sucked under hitting the odd thing. The river was now big.
The next 2 rapids looked totally insane. We were tired and portaging was tough work. Our put in after the last rapid was wild. The river was a cauldron and we were alyternatly sucked into the centre and pushed towards the trees.
At bob turners track the river was up the the start of track level.
Back at car at 7. A most excellent adventure and we both went home smiling ear to ear.
Nice work. By the look of the gauge you guys got out just in time. It rose extremely fast in a short period and I think you may have been in real trouble if you didn’t get through in a day!
Darren, we were fully aware all day it could go tits up. We only stopped when we really needed to. I hate mondays at work but I am kind if glad I’m not trying to bush bash my way out. We didn’t have a camera which is a pity. I don’t know measurement wise how high it was apart from the land marks mentiond above. It wasn’t 14m but it was surely more than 2.
Hi Dave, I wasn’t having a go mate, just stoked to see others going for it. Yep the gauge takes a little longer to register so if you didn’t see rock on the last one then definitely well over 2 metres! Probably the highest it’s been packrafted so far.
Dave,
Wow, sounds like an adrenaline filled trip, it potentially could have ended quite badly but glad it didn’t! There are some signifiant potential risks, I’m not sure if it would have been possible to retreat to higher ground if you had still been in the gorge at 13m’s.
Yep, calculated risk. Few really ever get to understand it but I find climbers just get stuff.
Last big rain event, I headed up to see what the gorge looked like at 10metres but never made it beyond Upper colo and paddled from there down instead. Next big event I’ll head up to one of the passes and get some pics. I often wonder how much the rapids would flatten out and become a Zambezi style high volume freight train.
