East, Colorado, US

01. Gothic Bridge to above Stupid Falls (Upper East)

Usual Difficulty	IV (for normal flows)
Length	0.75 Miles
Avg. Gradient	182 fpm
Max Gradient	182 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
EAST RIVER BELOW CEMENT CREEK NR CRESTED BUTTE, CO
usgs-09112200	600 - 3000 cfs	IV	71d18h19m	75 cfs (rc= -0.2 )

River Description

In the shadow of spectacular Gothic Mountain, the East is the easiest and shortest of the Crested Butte creeks, there are 6 slides that deserve a quick scout. If this run were 2 or 3 miles long with the same quality slides the entire length it would be one of the most popular runs in Colorado. Unfortunately the run is way to short. It's kinda like a one stoplight town, blink and you'll miss it. If your a Class V paddler take your play boat and surf every single wave the whole way down. Confident Class III boaters should be able to make it down this run as long as they have good babysitters.

To get there: Take Gothic Rd out of Crested Butte until you cross the river. This bridge is the put-in. To get to the takeout continue down the road another 50 yards past the bridge and take the first dirt road on the right. About a mile down that road keep an eye out for a large flat field to the right with the grass next to the road trampled down a bit from parking. Look for a small trail leading to the far corner of the field, this is where to scout Stupid Falls and the takeout.

The Quadruple Crown: Because of the short length and proximity of the Crested Butte creeks all 4 of them can be run in the same day. The East River is the best to start out with; it has the largest flow and the least gradient of the four. Next in line is Daisy Creek. Just continue downstream after Daisy to the confluence with the Slate River; there will be about 1/2 mile of slack water until the first rapid. The takeout for the Slate River is the same as Oh Be Joyful Creek so just walk or drive up to the OBJ put-in from there.