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 | 435 cfs |
| Gage Height | 1.3 ft |
| Air Temperature | 58° |
| River | Oh Be Joyful |
| Reporting Streamgage |
Gunnison River Near Gunnison
USGS 09114500 |
| Gauge | Streamflow | Stage |
|---|---|---|
|
Piney River Near State Bridge
USGS 09059500 |
16 cfs | 3.2 ft |
|
Colorado River Near Dotsero
USGS 09070500 |
1,290 cfs | 2.7 ft |
|
Tomichi Creek At Gunnison
USGS 09119000 |
123 cfs | 1.5 ft |
|
Ohio Creek Above Mouth Nr Gunnison
USGS 09113980 |
16 cfs | 3.0 ft |
|
East River Bl Cement Creek Nr Crested Butte
USGS 09112200 |
202 cfs | 1.6 ft |
|
North Fork Gunnison River Near Somerset
USGS 09132500 |
267 cfs | 2.0 ft |
|
Muddy Creek At Bardine
USGS 09131500 |
0 cfs | 3.2 ft |
|
Taylor River At Taylor Park
USGS 09107000 |
79 cfs | 1.5 ft |
|
Crystal River Ab Avalanche C
USGS 09081600 |
142 cfs | 1.1 ft |
|
Lake Creek Near Edwards
USGS 09067200 |
22 cfs | 0.5 ft |
| Snotel Site | Snowpack | 24hr Change |
|---|---|---|
|
pitkin 1.1 sw, co
SNOTEL CO-GN-59 |
2.17" | -1.29" |
|
Butte
SNOTEL 380 |
26" | 0" |
|
Ivanhoe
SNOTEL 547 |
46" | 0" |
|
Crosho
SNOTEL 426 |
18" | -50" |
|
Mc Clure Pass
SNOTEL 618 |
20" | -1" |
|
Idarado
SNOTEL 538 |
27" | -2" |
|
Park Cone
SNOTEL 680 |
27" | -1" |
|
Rabbit Ears
SNOTEL 709 |
36" | -2" |
|
Buffalo Park
SNOTEL 913 |
34" | -1" |
|
Chapman Tunnel
SNOTEL 1101 |
32" | -1" |
|
Nast Lake
SNOTEL 658 |
11" | -2" |
|
Tower
SNOTEL 825 |
82" | -1" |
|
Beaver Ck Village
SNOTEL 1041 |
18" | -1" |
|
crested butte 6.2 n, co
SNOTEL CO-GN-18 |
33.42" | -1.14" |
|
Columbine
SNOTEL 408 |
39" | -2" |
|
Bison Lake
SNOTEL 345 |
53" | 0" |
|
Wager Gulch
SNOTEL 1188 |
22" | 0" |
|
Cochetopa Pass
SNOTEL 1059 |
9" | -2" |
|
Moon Pass
SNOTEL 1124 |
20" | 0" |
|
Grayback
SNOTEL 1058 |
12" | -1" |
|
Vallecito
SNOTEL 843 |
32" | -2" |
|
Wolf Creek Summit
SNOTEL 874 |
74" | -1" |
|
Weminuche Creek
SNOTEL 1160 |
34" | -3" |
|
Brumley
SNOTEL 369 |
35" | -1" |
|
Independence Pass
SNOTEL 542 |
39" | -1" |
|
Dry Lake
SNOTEL 457 |
26" | -3" |
|
North Lost Trail
SNOTEL 669 |
29" | -2" |
|
Bear River
SNOTEL 1061 |
27" | 0" |
|
Upper San Juan
SNOTEL 840 |
60" | -1" |
|
Kiln
SNOTEL 556 |
25" | -2" |
|
gothic
SNOTEL GTHC2 |
38.7" | -0.41" |
|
Upper Taylor
SNOTEL 1141 |
30" | -1" |
|
Beartown
SNOTEL 327 |
45" | 0" |
|
Lynx Pass
SNOTEL 607 |
18" | -2" |
|
Burro Mountain
SNOTEL 378 |
26" | -2" |
|
Trapper Lake
SNOTEL 827 |
12" | -1" |
|
Lily Pond
SNOTEL 580 |
28" | -2" |
|
Elliot Ridge
SNOTEL 1120 |
46" | 0" |
|
Middle Creek
SNOTEL 624 |
47" | -1" |
|
Schofield Pass
SNOTEL 737 |
57" | -1" |
|
yampa 5.1 s, co
SNOTEL CO-RT-26 |
5.28" | -1.24" |
|
Mccoy Park
SNOTEL 1040 |
22" | -3" |
|
Upper Rio Grande
SNOTEL 839 |
3" | -3" |
|
Slumgullion
SNOTEL 762 |
37" | -1" |
|
pagosa springs 9.1 nnw, co
SNOTEL CO-MN-1 |
7.11" | -1.26" |
|
Overland Res.
SNOTEL 675 |
18" | -2" |
|
Stump Lakes
SNOTEL 797 |
39" | -1" |
|
Ripple Creek
SNOTEL 717 |
54" | -2" |
| Campground | Campsites | Reservations | Toilets | Showers | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stevens Creek - Curecanti Recreation Area | 54 | 7,540 ft | |||
| Dry Gulch - Curecanti Area | 10 | 7,583 ft | |||
| Palisades Senior RV Park | 59 | 7,680 ft | |||
| Gothic | 4 | 9,657 ft | |||
| Lake Irwin | 32 | 10,400 ft | |||
| Silver Queen | 6 | 8,682 ft | |||
| Elk Creek - Curecanti Area | 160 | 7,575 ft |
| Ski Area | Snowpack | Air Temperature | 5 Day Forecast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crested Butte Mountain Resort | 26" | 42° | 10.75" |
| Snowmass | 30" | 45° | 11.69" |
| Buttermilk Mountain | 30" | 45° | 11.69" |
| Aspen Mountain | 39" | 45° | 11.37" |
| Aspen Highlands | 30" | 45° | 11.69" |
| Sunlight Mountain Resort | 20" | 49° | 5.77" |
| River Run | Streamflow | Length | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catherine Store Section | 213.0cfs | 4.0 Mi | II to II+ |
| Avalanche Down | 142.0cfs | 12.0 Mi | III |
| Shoshone (Power Plant to Grizzly Creek) | 1290.0cfs | 1.7 Mi | III- to IV |
| Barrel Springs | 1290.0cfs | 4.0 Mi | IV+ to V+ |
| Cemetery | 460.0cfs | 12.0 Mi | II+ to III+ |
| Oh Be Joyful | 435.0cfs | 1.0 Mi | V |
| Barrel Springs | 1290.0cfs | 4.0 Mi | IV+ to V+ |
| Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park | 1770.0cfs | 0.25 Mi | II to IV- |
| Castle Creek | 140.0cfs | 2.0 Mi | IV+ to V- |
| Shoshone (Power Plant to Grizzly Creek) | 1290.0cfs | 1.7 Mi | III- to IV |
| Grizzly Creek to Two Rivers Park | 1290.0cfs | 6.0 Mi | II to III |
| Crystal Mill Falls | 142.0cfs | None Mi | V- to V |
| Bogan Canyon | 142.0cfs | 6.85 Mi | III to III+ |
| Waterfall to Confluence | 213.0cfs | 1.0 Mi | V- |
| Carbondale to Westbank (Pink to Black) | 460.0cfs | 7.0 Mi | II |