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Horsetooth Reservoir
2001 paddling
before 2001 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004
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May 2001. Horsetooth Reservoir is filled only to about 30% of its capacity due to dam repairing. It is still more than 6 miles long but quite narrow in two places with boat speed restriction. Good news: motor boat traffic is really low this year. |
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South Bay provides the only access to the reservoir during these low water days. Paddling on Horsetooth is getting more and more expensive. The annual access pass costs $120 (!) this year (car + boat). It covers also Carter Lake and Horsetooth Mountain Park. In order to fully utilize my pass I paddle at least 2 times per week usually early morning. |
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Arthur's Rock in Lory State Park.
Usually, I paddle along west shore with its numerous coves. It gives a better chance to meet some mule
deer or to spot a lonely mountain goat living in vicinity of the Inlet Bay. However, it is worth sometimes to go
along east shore to have a better view at mountains including Horsetooth and Arthur's Rocks like on this
quiet May morning.
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Early November 2001.
The reservoir was filled only to about 7% of its capacity and existed as three ponds connected by narrow channels. The channel between the Dixon and Soldier dams is deep and slow while the more narrow and faster channel between Spring Creek and Dixon dams was ended with some white water. The old boat was exposed near the entrance to the Dixon Cove. The paddling was quite interesting althouth required a portage upstream of the white water. |
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Late November 2001. November 30th. A very cold and cloudy morning. Snow on the ground and some coastal ice.
I took my Seawind canoe for some paddling and photography at the exposed reservoir bottom.
A day earlier I tried to reach a vicinity of the Dixon Dam on foot but I couldn't cross
the still not frozen stream in the Inlet Bay. However, I made quite nice shot of the almost empty
Horsetooth reservoir in winter scenery.
The channel between the Spring Creek and Dixon dams ended up in some shallow and rough water. As in my previous trips I had to line the boat. However, the portage upstream in my return way was easy this time - I just pulled the boat like a sled on snow. |
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At the mouth of the Dixon cove there were some remains of old buidings - mostly just stone foundations and rusty parts of some equipment. Normally, this area is covered by water. However, I am really attracted here by massive stone fense posts. I found five of them still standing and two more laying down. I spent a long time waiting for some sun that was still hiding behind gray clouds. I had time to think what kind of stories these stones could tell us. A mystery of Stonehenge was brought to my mind. Finally, my patience was rewarded. A pale sun appeared and I could shoot some pictures with nice shadows.
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It was probably my last paddling on the Horsetooth Reservoir in the year of 2001. Two weeks later the southern end the lake was frozen. Even if some water still remained ice free it couldn't be reached. Due to the dam construction the access to the reservoir was very limited. |
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On 12/08/01 I was still paddling my X-treme canoe on the Boyd Lake. In the darkness after sunset I ran into forming ice in the middle of lake. A rather scary experience. It seems that the lake paddling season in northern Colorado was over. Time to check South Platte River. | |
before 2001 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004
gift ideas for paddlers, racers, and photographers ...
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