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Conejos River Report

Leon Maurer

9/10/2019

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Presentation Overview

  • Logistics
  • Our Trip
  • Upper Section

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Logistics

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Overview Map

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Gauges and Levels

Two from the Colorado Division of Water Resources (not USGS!)

At Platoro dam:

CONEJOS RIVER BELOW PLATORO RESERVOIR, CO. (CONPLACO)

Near lower CO 17 bridge

CONEJOS RIVER NEAR MOGOTE, CO. (CONMOGCO)

Both include air and water temperature! (Cold!)

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Access Locations

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Sections

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  • Saddle Creek Bridge -> Footbridge (“The Pinnacles”)
    • Class II-IV (Southwest Paddler, American Whitewater) II-III (Facebook, 400 CFS)
    • Min 300 CFS (Southwest Paddler) 200 CFS (American Whitewater)
    • Max 1400 CFS (Southwest Paddler) 1500 CFS (American Whitewater)
    • ~6.5 mi
  • Footbridge -> CO SH 17 bridge
    • Class I-II (Southwest Paddler) II+ (American Whitewater)
    • Min 300 CFS (Southwest Paddler) 100 CFS (American Whitewater)
    • Max 1400 CFS (Southwest Paddler) 1500 CFS (American Whitewater)
    • ~13 mi
  • CO SH 17 bridge -> Mogote Campground
    • Class I-II (Southwest Paddler) II+ (American Whitewater)
    • Min 300 CFS (Southwest Paddler) 100 CFS (American Whitewater)
    • Max 1400 CFS (Southwest Paddler) 2500 CFS (American Whitewater)
    • ~10 mi
  • Beyond…
    • Branches, diversions, and low flow after Antonito. Tricky access

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Getting There

  • US-285 or US-64/84 to...
  • CO/NM 17 (Antonito<->Chama)
  • FR-250 from 17 to Platoro (dirt, but FWD is fine)
  • Google: 3 hr 11 min Albuquerque<->upper CO 17 Bridge via US-285

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Camping

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Plenty of options

Upper South Fork Tent Camping Area is nice if you like tents

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Access Issues

Cables/Fences

  • Maybe half a dozen
  • None barbed over the water on our section (some further down)
  • Most obvious or with orange tape
  • Be vigilant!

Rainbow trout lodge

  • Supposedly jerks
  • Didn’t give us any trouble

Anglers

  • Lot out there, but they all were friendly

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Our Trip

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Upper South Fork Trailhead/Tent Camping Area

Great spot

Not busy, even on Labor day weekend

Can get nice camping area near cliff for great sunset

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Our Craft

Two packrafts with spray decks:

  • Kokopelli Nirvana
  • Alpacka Gnarwhal

Were testing internal storage with a full load of camping gear

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Our Route

Put in near Upper South Fork

Take out blow Aspen Glade CG

200 CFS @ CONEJOS RIVER BELOW PLATORO RESERVOIR

257 CFS @ CONEJOS RIVER NEAR MOGOTE

Packrafts only needed 8” water

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Put In

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  • Steep escarpment to river
  • Explore for better options
  • Get tail end of Pinnacles section action

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Wetlands

  • Pretty flat
  • Branches several times
  • Lower water and other obstacles
  • Had to portage several times due to both

Marker at 37.214708, -106.457687

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Easy Paddling

  • Wetlands->SH 17
  • Enjoy the scenery and wildlife
  • Multiple fences/wires
  • Some branching

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Below SH 17 Bridge

  • Valley narrows, gradient increases
  • 1 wire?
  • Rapids become more frequent
  • Only one stood out...

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Aspen Glade Rapid

View at a bit higher flow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv15-qwM1Sk&t=1m6s

37.073146,-106.280364

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Take Out

Aspen Glade and Mogote campgrounds extend right to the water

Both were full for holiday weekend

Roadside option at 37.071196, -106.256316

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Assessment

  • Very enjoyable, nice scenery, cool wildlife (including a ton of mergansers)
  • 200 CFS seems like a minimum for a packraft
  • 300 CFS for other boats seems reasonable

Stolen from Wikipedia

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Upper Section

(The Pinnacles)

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Flyby

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Hearsay

  • Facebook says this section is II-III at 400 CFS
  • Old (10+ year) reports of barbed wire on American Whitewater
  • More recent report of no fences/wires
  • Beware of other obstacles

Photo stolen from Logan Myers

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References