hydrophilia: Reminiscing the Vallecito

This summer, while in Colorado, we were able to get on one of the Colorado class V classics: the Vallecito Gorge. The first day we tried to run it, it was sub-freezing temperatures and snowing. Although it made for a beautiful sight, we didn't have drysuits and we were cold as shit! The level was also a little higher than we had hoped for our first run because none of us knew the lines. Once you're in the gorge you are committed with pretty much no way to get out. We ran the entrance 20-footer and stood, freezing our nuts off, and stood scouting Trash Can. It was decided to ferry across and hike out up a steep gully before we got any colder or deeper into the gorge.

The next day however, we came back with beautiful weather and a perfect water level and got two runs in. We videoed and took pictures the first run and then the second run we bombed down from top to bottom in 15 minutes.

It's a really sweet feeling right after you drop off the entrance 20-footer and find yourself committed in this tight little gorge with crystal blue water.

Here's me lining up for the rapid directly downstream of the pool of the entrance falls. It's called Trash Can because it's the shittiest looking rapid of the run, but despite how it looks, it goes just fine.

Enjoying the better weather of day 2 deep in the gorge. The rock formations were stunning!

Ben Blake stylin the 12-foot boof called "Fuzzy Little Bunny." It's named this because as you go off the lip you're supposed to yell out fuzzy little bunny loud enough for someone to hear it. If nobody hears, then you have to hike back up and run it again. I hiked back up to run it again anyway though because it was so much fun!