Fri - March 21, 2008

31 Miles and 5 Portages - South Platte River Marathon



Thunderbolt kayak training on South Platte River

The South Platte River Marathon scheduled for March 30, 2008 covers 31 miles along some popular and less known, but scenic river segments. It starts on St Vrain River about 1 miles above its confluence with the South Platte and ends at Kuner. This is unofficial and unorganized race, so your are totally responsible for what are you doing on the river.
  • Date: March 30, 2008
  • Start: 8am at Wildcat on St Vrain - county road 19.5 (north of St Vrain Fort Power Station, take 245 Mead exit from interstate 25 and drive east to CR 19.5), see map. We can consider a staggered start.
  • Length: 31+ miles. 5 portages over diversion dams - you have to portage all dams.
  • Shuttle. My wife Connie will help with a shuttle - we can take one extra boat and up to 3 paddlers from Kuner. So, we are not running a shuttle before the race.

I paddled the marathon course alone 3 years ago. It took me 4:39 in Spencer X-treme canoe with a pretty good flow of 1600cfs at Kersey. If you are familiar with the 9 mile upstream Rotten Egg race, the marathon should take you about 1 hour longer, but with much lower effort and you don't need to paddle back to the start.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions or if you are going to attend.

mileage landmark
0.0 start - Wildcat on St Vrain Cr
shallow river, possible strainers and fallen trees
1.2 confluence with South Platte River
the most scenic part along cliffs of Wildcat Mound
6.1 Union Ditch Dam
short portage on left
6.9 highway 60 east of Milliken
river access: left above the bridge
9.3 Union Pacific Railroad Trestle
9.7 Godfrey Ditch Dam
portage right from a channel
14.9 Lower Latham Ditch Dam
portage left around rock dam to the old river leg
(before entering the channel with steep banks leading to dam gates)
16.7 Evans Riverside Park
river access on left shore
18.7 Patterson Ditch Dam
portage right
21.2 Plumb Ditch Dam
portage left
25.8 highway 37 - Kersey
river access - left below the bridge
31.3 finish - Kuner - county road 61
land under the bridge on right
31.5 Empire Ditch Dam
you paddled too far!

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Posted at 10:33 AM    


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