9-17-03

Doug,

I don't know if you ever got a good answer about this by private mail.

I have never camped at Cottonwood Bend, but the BLM map also indicates

that it is campable. There is also camping nearby at Landing Strip and

Juniper Glen. I have used both of these locations.

Landing Strip is road accessible and car camped a lot, so it might not

be private. Juniper Glen has a good wilderness feel to it. Both

landings have become very brushy, so they are hard to spot these days.

Also, Juniper Glen would leave you with a very short distance to your

take-out.

You might consider extending your trip down to the Burns take-out, on

the southeast side of the railroad bridge near the Burns post office.

But unless you are class III competent or with a competent group, please

portage the main drop in Catamount Rapid. It's about 1/2 mile

downstream from Catamount Bridge. It's a suck-in drop that IMO you

can't get really approach closely for scouting by boat. The rest of

this 5-mile section is a very pleasant and scenic I+/II-.

Further upstream, Double Pine has very nice tent sites, but I have only

picniced there so far. Windy Point also has good sites, but it can be

occupied by car-campers who come in on the jeep road, as well as

outfitters who camp groups there during the heavy summer season. Both

of these locations are subject to locomotives that park on the siding

and can idle their engines for hours at night.

Speaking of ratings, there are also some class II surprises in the first

two miles downstream from State Bridge. Be careful there.

If I were doing a weekender there, I would either try to find the

Cottonwood Bend site, or go for Juniper Glen.

I highly recommend the 1991 BLM river guidebook, "The Upper Colorado

River Recreation Guide". Detailed maps with topography; tyvek

semi-waterproof paper. $5.00 from the BLM Lakewood office, 2850

Youngfield. Pick up, or quick phone order with credit card,

303-239-3600. They tell me they are reprinting it now, but they still

have limited copies available, one per person. HTH.

--Dave

>

> Hallo all,

>

> I was thinking of doing this trip as an overnighter with my 5-year-old boy sometime

> in September, weather permitting. I have a fishing map which indicates primitive

> camping is available at Cottonwood Bend. Has anyone ever camped along this

> stretch ? Information would be welcomed..

>

> ta,

> Doug

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