Access: Park a shuttle at the Eagle River Water & Sanitation Plant in west Lionshead Village. The put-in is in East Vail just off Exit 180 adjacent to the creek. There's a 3 hr lot on the left side of Big Horn Rd.
Start: 1000, 6/1/2014
Total Distance: ~5mi
Flow: ~1000cfs
Class: 3
Raft Occupants: 3
The fresh deep powder normally associated with Vail yields plenty of runoff into Gore Creek for rafting on big snow years. The creek starts in East Vail running right through the middle of Vail Village with a nice eddy out on the promenade in the Gore Creek Plaza just beyond the Covered Bridge. The put-in is just off the bike path that runs parallel to Big Horn Rd.
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| East Vail (I-70 Exit 180) |
The river width is only 30 to 60 feet through East Vail with small short class 2/3 rapids. The bridge underpasses are more difficult to navigate than the rapids. Anything over 1000cfs and caution must be exercised to avoid decapitation.
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| Head Ripper Pipe |
This section of the river runs through the East Vail golf course offering great views of the spring falls pouring down the mountains and the snow covered peaks of the Gore Range to the east.
Don't forget to bring a couple golf clubs for an impromptu hole from the riverbank.
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| Looking east on the Gore Range |
After a few miles, the river enters Vail Village, where you are met with awestruck tourists snapping pictures from covered bridges. The Gore Creek Plaza makes a great place to stop for a drink before the somewhat larger class 3 rapids of West Vail. There's nothing like the looks you receive from the restaurant clientele
sipping chianti on the patios when you pop open a river chilled PBR. Keep it Klassy.
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| Setting up a PBR bar in the courtyard |
The next section through Lionshead has some dodgy spillovers but nothing unavoidable and nothing over class 3. This same section of river is used for the GoPro Games every spring. The takeout before the big boy class 3+ rapids (Dowd Chute) is on the west end of Lionshead Village, north side of the river. There's a bridge for Forest Rd. beyond the takeout. Ascend the short bank to the bike path. The treatment plant is on Forest Rd.
