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Play Parks of Southwest Colorado

By Dunbar Hardy

Surf's up! As snowpack begins to melt, the free-flowing rivers of southwest Colorado come bursting to life. Switching from skis to paddles, eager playboaters are treated to some new and improved paddling options for this paddling season. So load up the playboat and take a tour of three rockin' park 'n play spots in Southwest Colorado.

UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER/ROLLINS PARK, RIDGWAY

Flowing from the north side of the San Juan Mountains through the middle of rural Ridgway is the Uncompahgre River. Located at the crossroads of Hwy 550 and Hwy 62 is Rollins Park, the site of Ridgway's newly modified play park. Initial construction of the park began in 2004 with the intention to restore and stabilize the river channel, as well as improve and protect riparian habitat. The original boulder piles ultimately failed. The Uncompahgre River Stewardship Alliance teamed up with Riverbend Engineering, led by Chris Phillips, to lead the river re-model by using cement, and the Ridgwave was born. Actually, two play spots exist on the river, Ridgwave and Drop #2. Ridgwave, a shallow, U-shaped drop that creates a sloping pourover, is the upper most feature. It is a good spot for flat spins, low-angle vertical moves and sweet mystery-moves. Eddyline moves can be had just below the feature. Unfortunately, it is too shallow for the tallest vertical moves. Just downstream of Ridgwave, Drop #2, redesigned in the fall of 2006, had yet to receive water by this writing but it looks promising for the spring run-off. It is expected to produce a fast standing wave that gets steeper as flows increase; it might even produce a foam pile around 1,000 cfs. So, with the community's safety concerns addressed and over-development concerns of the Army Corps of Engineers addressed, Rollins Park, a complete channel diversion and site remodel, stands ready for this season's onslaught of eager playboaters.

GETTING STARTED
WHERE Rollins Park in Ridgway is on the north side of the Hwy 62 bridge just east of Hwy 550.
FLOW Ridgwave is surfable at 200 cfs, with good levels at 400-600 cfs up to 1,000 cfs.
Local Info www.town.ridgway.co.us.
EVENT Ridgway River Festival, June 30 ? July 1.

ANIMAS RIVER, DURANGO/SANTA RITA PARK
Durango paddlers await the rebirth of an old playground. High water of summer 2005 and fall 2006 took a toll on the Animas River playspots along Santa Rita Park.
When high water moved rocks and washed out riverbanks, the popular play wave known as Corner Pocket had all but disappeared.
Paddlers missed the dynamic breaking wave that offered aerial wave moves at high water and fun, retentive loops at low water.
In early 2007, local river advocate and member of the Animas River Task Force, John Brennan, set out to repair the damage. With approval from the city of Durango and Department of Fish and Wildlife, rocks were reset at various places from just below the famous Smelter Rapid to the in-park takeout below what was formerly known as Clock Tower Hole.
This strip of the Animas River is popular and receives a lot of summer river traffic. With the new modifications and "rebirth" of old playspots, this season's paddlers will be dispersed over numerous play spots - fun can be had by all.

GETTING STARTED
WHERE Northwest/west side of Santa Rita Park just off of Hwy. 160 next to the Visitor's Center.
FLOW Paddling is year round on the Animas with flows as low as 250 cfs, but with the new modifications in Santa Rita Park it is estimated that Corner Pocket will begin working with flows of near 800 cfs up to 2,500 cfs.
LOCAL INFO Four Corners Riversports provides flow and play spot beta (www.riversports.com).
EVENT Animas River Days is scheduled for June 1-3: river parade and slalom, freestyle and downriver competitions.

SAN JUAN RIVER, PAGOSA SPRINGS/PAGOSA SPRINGS WHITEWATER PARK

With the San Juan River pulsing through the middle of town, play paddlers now have a reliable spot in Pagosa Springs for an after-work rinsing directly in front of the famous Pagosa Hot Springs.
In the mid 90s, the San Juan River saw river structures placed in the river to enhance fisheries, which worked well for fisheries but not for river recreationalists.
After an arduous permitting struggle and, finally, the replacement of these structures, starting last year the play wave proved to be a friendly surfing spot (good front surfing, as well as spins and low angle moves) at most levels, with two hot pools incorporated as eddies.
At high levels, more dynamic surfs (faster, more vertical moves but slightly washed-out eddies) are on the menu. By fall of this year, the whitewater park will receive two additional river features just downstream of the existing playspot, engineered by Boulder-based Recreational Engineering/Planning. The master plan for the river is to have a total of six play spots, the last one located below Centennial Park.
Wolf Creek Ski Area owner Davey Pitcher donated labor and rock materials to assist in completion of the first phase of the whitewater development.
So go surf and soak in Pagosa while the gettin's good.

GETTING STARTED
WHERE In town directly across from Pagosa Hot Springs below Hot Springs Blvd. Parking is available off Hwy 160 at the "bend" in the middle of town next to Tequila's Restaurant.
FLOW The wave is surfable from 300 cfs to 1,500 cfs, and washes out at 2,000 cfs.
LOCAL INFO Pagosa Outside: www.pagosaoutside.com.

Durango's Dunbar Hardy can occasionally manage some tricks in a kayak without hurting himself - occasionally; www.dunbarhardy.com.