Oh Be Joyful
If you haven't heard of Oh Be Joyful (OBJ), then (a) let me welcome you to the world of kayaking or (b) please crawl out of the cave you've been living in the for past 20 years. Oh Be Joyful has become so synonymous with creekboating, that it seems to bring out people to brave its massive features who normally don't even consider running class V creeks. Perhaps it's the reputation for big and clean drops with easy moves that brings out the hordes. Or perhaps the stunning location in the high alpine forests just outside of Crested Butte. Or perhaps its the excellent camping adjacent to the run where you're sure to see a few familiar faces from the boating scene and meet a few new ones. Or perhaps its the stunning clusters of wildflowers that tend to be in full bloom when the creeks are running. Or perhaps its the abundant trails perfect for hiking, mountain biking, and dirt biking that make this excellent place to bring nonboating friends or make it a multisport weekend. Most likely, it's all of the above.
Suggested river levels for paddling this section of the Oh Be Joyful are between a bare minimum of 500cfs and a high of 2,000cfs.
River conditions sourced from USGS 09114500, the Gunnison River Near Gunnison
Remember only watercraft are permitted
at Oh Be Joyful.
Run Stats
| Status | Too Low |
| Class Level | V |
| Elevation | 7,670 ft |
| Run Length | 1.0 Mi |
| Streamflow Discharge | 273 cfs |
| Gage Height | 1.1 ft |
| Air Temperature | 69° |
| River | Oh Be Joyful |
| Reporting Streamgage |
Gunnison River Near Gunnison
USGS 09114500 |
| Gauge | Streamflow | Stage |
|---|---|---|
|
Castle Creek At Aspen
USGS 09075400 |
43 cfs | ft |
|
Lake Creek Near Edwards
USGS 09067200 |
18 cfs | 0.5 ft |
|
Roaring Fork River Near Emma
USGS 09081000 |
233 cfs | 4.8 ft |
|
Piney River Near State Bridge
USGS 09059500 |
14 cfs | 2.7 ft |
|
Fryingpan River Near Ruedi
USGS 09080400 |
49 cfs | 1.0 ft |
|
Cross Creek Near Minturn
USGS 09065100 |
48 cfs | 4.3 ft |
|
E Fork Terror Cr Blw Cottonwood Stomp Nr Bowie
USGS 09132985 |
0 cfs | ft |
|
Taylor River Below Taylor Park Reservoir
USGS 09109000 |
74 cfs | 3.3 ft |
|
Fryingpan River Near Thomasville
USGS 09078600 |
29 cfs | 1.8 ft |
|
Hubbard Creek Above Iron Point Gulch Nr Bowie
USGS 09132940 |
6 cfs | ft |
| Snotel Site | Snowpack | 24hr Change |
|---|---|---|
|
Wolf Creek Summit
SNOTEL 874 |
8" | 0" |
|
Columbine
SNOTEL 408 |
1" | 1" |
|
Slumgullion
SNOTEL 762 |
3" | 0" |
|
Brumley
SNOTEL 369 |
1" | 0" |
|
Vallecito
SNOTEL 843 |
2" | 1" |
|
Park Cone
SNOTEL 680 |
2" | 1" |
|
Overland Res.
SNOTEL 675 |
1" | 1" |
|
Cochetopa Pass
SNOTEL 1059 |
1" | 1" |
|
Kiln
SNOTEL 556 |
10" | 0" |
|
Trapper Lake
SNOTEL 827 |
1" | -1" |
|
Lily Pond
SNOTEL 580 |
2" | 3" |
|
Tower
SNOTEL 825 |
11" | 3" |
|
Idarado
SNOTEL 538 |
2" | 0" |
|
Stump Lakes
SNOTEL 797 |
3" | 0" |
|
Grayback
SNOTEL 1058 |
2" | 0" |
|
Buffalo Park
SNOTEL 913 |
3" | 1" |
|
Crosho
SNOTEL 426 |
10" | 0" |
|
Beartown
SNOTEL 327 |
1" | 0" |
|
Ripple Creek
SNOTEL 717 |
6" | 5" |
|
gothic
SNOTEL GTHC2 |
4.66" | 0.83" |
|
Butte
SNOTEL 380 |
1" | 0" |
|
Middle Creek
SNOTEL 624 |
4" | 0" |
|
Independence Pass
SNOTEL 542 |
2" | 0" |
|
Ivanhoe
SNOTEL 547 |
12" | 1" |
|
Bison Lake
SNOTEL 345 |
10" | 0" |
| Campground | Campsites | Reservations | Toilets | Showers | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gothic | 4 | 9,657 ft | |||
| Palisades Senior RV Park | 59 | 7,680 ft | |||
| Lake Irwin | 32 | 10,400 ft | |||
| Silver Queen | 6 | 8,682 ft | |||
| Stevens Creek - Curecanti Recreation Area | 54 | 7,540 ft | |||
| Elk Creek - Curecanti Area | 160 | 7,575 ft | |||
| Dry Gulch - Curecanti Area | 10 | 7,583 ft |
| Ski Area | Snowpack | Air Temperature | 5 Day Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspen Highlands | -1" | 54° | 4.8" |
| Sunlight Mountain Resort | -1" | 58° | 6.4" |
| Buttermilk Mountain | -1" | 54° | 4.8" |
| Snowmass | -1" | 54° | 4.8" |
| Aspen Mountain | 2" | 56° | 4.51" |
| Crested Butte Mountain Resort | 1" | 54° | 5.49" |
| River Run | Streamflow | Length | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterfall to Confluence | 233.0cfs | 1.0 Mi | V- |
| Shoshone (Power Plant to Grizzly Creek) | 1030.0cfs | 1.7 Mi | III- to IV |
| Catherine Store Section | 233.0cfs | 4.0 Mi | II to II+ |
| Cemetery | 564.0cfs | 12.0 Mi | II+ to III+ |
| Shoshone (Power Plant to Grizzly Creek) | 1030.0cfs | 1.7 Mi | III- to IV |
| Castle Creek | 117.0cfs | 2.0 Mi | IV+ to V- |
| Oh Be Joyful | 273.0cfs | 1.0 Mi | V |
| Bogan Canyon | 84.7cfs | 6.85 Mi | III to III+ |
| Crystal Mill Falls | 84.7cfs | None Mi | V- to V |
| Grizzly Creek to Two Rivers Park | 1030.0cfs | 6.0 Mi | II to III |
| Barrel Springs | 1030.0cfs | 4.0 Mi | IV+ to V+ |
| Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park | 1640.0cfs | 0.25 Mi | II to IV- |
| Barrel Springs | 1030.0cfs | 4.0 Mi | IV+ to V+ |
| Avalanche Down | 84.7cfs | 12.0 Mi | III |
| Carbondale to Westbank (Pink to Black) | 564.0cfs | 7.0 Mi | II |