Ruby-Horsethief offers boaters an easy getaway
By Bob Findlay 
| August 26, 2009 | 9:01 AM
There’s still plenty of summer left to plan a Colorado River float trip through Ruby and Horsethief canyons west of Fruita. It’s easy because: 1. Planning is barely needed; just grab your gear and friends and go. 2. If summer happens to slip away before you can go, no problem; early autumn days on this mellow river section are usually balmy, too.
Ruby-Horsethief is one of the few places left in Colorado and surrounding states where you can do an overnight float trip without needing to secure a permit months in advance. Plus, it’s free. That’s likely to change in the next few years, however, because the area has grown too popular for its own good. More on that later.
In the 25 miles between the boat launch at Loma (exit 15 from Interstate 70) and the takeout at Westwater Ranger Station, the Colorado River flows lazily through red-wall canyons so beautiful that the area has been preserved as the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. The river’s south shore (river left) marks the boundary of the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness Area. Numerous trails invite exploration off the river.
Boaters first enter Horsethief Canyon, 1.6 miles from the Loma launch, and encounter Ruby Canyon at the confluence with Salt Creek, at 8.6 miles. Horsethief Canyon’s name comes from its Old West history as a haven for rustlers, and Ruby Canyon’s name is obvious once you see its sandstone walls and spires.
Rapids appear at Black Rocks, about 16 miles into the trip, but at the river’s low flows this time of year, they’re little more than a ripple. This is an easy run for novice rafters and a great place to build confidence in paddling a canoe or kayak, either regular or inflatable. Regulations require everyone to wear a life jacket, and each group must have a pack-it-out toilet system, firepan, spare oars and paddles, repair kit and a first-aid kit. Bring at least a gallon of water per person per day. Click here for regulations and the Bureau of Land Management’s guide to making the trip.
The aptly named Black Rocks formation is schist, and this extra hard bedrock reappears farther downstream to create the rapids of Westwater Canyon and some of the rapids in the Grand Canyon. It’s also seen in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
Bald eagles nest in the cottonwoods along the river, and boaters can also see herons, geese, beaver, deer and an occasional desert bighorn sheep. Rock art left by the Fremont culture exists in several places and is concentrated at the mouth of McDonald Creek Canyon, 17.8 miles from the launch, where a short hike leads to an alcove offering nice views of the art and the river.
It can take more than 15 hours at low water to navigate Ruby-Horsethief. Determined rowers and paddlers can put in a workout to cut that time significantly and get through in a day. But why? Staying at any of the 26 designated campsites to enjoy a Dutch oven dinner with friends and family can be the highlight of the trip.
It also could be the lowlight if you arrive at the campsite you registered for only to find it occupied by someone else. It’s happening much too frequently lately and apparently spells the end of the free, no-permit system that river runners have long enjoyed.
Boaters are asked to register for a campsite when they launch. But registering is voluntary and isn’t binding; many don’t bother with it ,and that leads to conflicts downstream when more than one group expects to use the same campsite.
Because of the growing user conflicts and increased crowding, the BLM is contemplating new management rules for Ruby-Horsethief. A public hearing was held in Grand Junction in July and public comment is invited until Sept. 30. Submit comments to the BLM Grand Junction Field Office, 2815 H Road, Grand Junction CO 81506 or by e-mail to rubyhorsethief@blm.gov. Include your name, address, e-mail address and phone number.
Among the proposals: 1. Make campsite registration mandatory. 2. Require advance permits (such as the system in place for Westwater just downstream, where boaters must reserve a launch date two months in advance any pay $7 per boater).
No plan is perfect. The first proposal, as the BLM acknowledges, doesn’t do anything about crowding, which can be severe on weekends, especially holidays (Labor Day would not be a good time to go). The second option ruins the flexibility and spontaneity that make Ruby-Horsethief such an attractive option.
bureau of land management, canoe, colorado river, Horsethief Canyon, kayak, Loma, McInnis Canyons, rafting, Ruby Canyon, Ruby-Horsethief, Westwater
