Birthday Bash: Blugrass Creek

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My birthday was last Saturday on August 29. I didn't have anything more exciting planned for the weekend than painting the outside of our house on Sunday with Leif's mom Ann (soon to be my mother-in-law!), until Casper Mike (soon to be Bozeman Mike) had the great intuition to call me to go boating on Bluegrass Creek, WY. I jumped at the idea to run a creek which I have never run before. The trip proved to be just what I was hoping for. The creek was a perfect mix of heady whitewater with some steep drops and a nice long paddle in some beautiful scenery and awesome geology (minus the 20 fences that we had to duck under). Casper Mike put together a little video of the trip so you can check that out at: http://casperkayakers.blogspot.com/2009/09/bluegrass-creek-gopro-cam-vid.html

The first mile of the creek is totally unnatural rip roaring good time. On Saturday there was 365 cfs being discharged out of Wheatland Reservoir #3 through a manmade rock tunnel and into an ephemeral drainage which probably normally carries about 8cfs at its peak. Below is a picture of the water coming out of the hillside.



Right below the tunnel the current takes off and doesn't let up until about a mile downstream when it hits the confluence of bluegrass creek. Within this mile there are three drops which should be scouted: Stamped, Tricky Ledge and Bucking Bronco.

Top Section Slideshow:



After miles and miles of rowdy flat water, boogie water, cement drop structures, cows, barbed wire fences (15), antelope, incredible geology and beautiful scenery the creek enters a granitic pluton which provides really neat class IV-V- rapids in a mini granite gorge. Finally the creek enters "Main Event" an incredible impressive rapid/gorge all rolled up into one.

Main Event Slideshow:




And finally, for the real main event of the day, we at Angel Food cake with whipped cream, blueberries and peaches at the take out.





Thanks Mike for taking us down, and next time I'll have a roof rack on my truck so we don't have to bring Leif's wimpy compact car and we can drive you all the way back to your truck at put-in.


Oh, and the house painting went pretty well as you can see below.

BEFORE, then AFTER

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