Big Thompson, Colorado, US

01. Lake Estes to Drake (Big Tommy / Big T)

Usual Difficulty	II-IV+(V+) (for normal flows)
Length	11.5 Miles
Avg. Gradient	102 fpm
Max Gradient	266 fpm

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
BIG THOMPSON RIVER BELOW LAKE ESTES
codwr-BTBLESCO0	200 - 500 cfs	II-IV+(V+)	01h37m	21.6 cfs (rc= -1.8 )

River Description

From Lake Estes to the handicap access fishing pier (9 miles) is II-IV (you can put in below the dam but beware of the fence just past the first bridge--easy to sneak on river right).

The short section of hair is from the fishing pier down about 1/2 mile. Check out Patrick Forsters' article in www.coloradokayaking.com, and a high water BIG Thompson Fall Photo Essay By: Evan J. Stafford. I also have pics of the hair section on Webshots.

From the bottom of the hair into drake is 3 miles of fun class IV with the occasional sticky hole. There are 2 super fun IV+ rapids in the middle that are back to back.

On July 31, 1976 the Big Thompson watershed experienced a 10,000 year flood event, a 20 foot wall of water moving 60 miles an hour tore down the canyon killing 144 people. NOAA summary of the flood

To Get There: Hwy 34 between Estes Park and Loveland runs beside the river. Various put-in and take-out options exist. The best run is from the hair section (obvious from the road) down to Drake.