Kayak Love

Colorado · river

Roaring Fork River above Difficult Creek near Aspen

USGS monitoring location. Launch access and paddling suitability have not been verified.

Weather comparison · not a safety rating

85

Favorable weather

Weather score out of 100

Weather only. This is a monitoring station, not a verified launch. Access, hazards and suitable flow are unknown.

Weather observation: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 06:45:00 GMT.

River observation: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 06:30:00 GMT.

Page checked: Tue, 29 Sep 2026 06:59:23 GMT. Readings older than one hour are not used for the current score.

Photograph taken near Roaring Fork River above Difficult Creek near Aspen
Nearby on Wikimedia Commons — Aspen Mountain.jpg by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder . Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a message . This image is not in the public domain . Please respect the copyright protection. It may only be used according to the rules mentioned here. This specifically excludes use in social media , if applicable terms of the licenses listed here not appropriate. Please do not upload an updated image here without consultation with the Author. The author would like to make corrections only at his own source. This ensures that the changes are preserved. Please if you think that any changes should be required, please inform the author. Otherwise you can upload a new image with a new name. Please use one of the templates derivative or extract ., CC BY-SA 3.0. Taken within 10km of this location — it may not show the launch itself.

Wind

4 mph

gusting to 8 mph

Air temp

50°F

3% chance of rain

River flow

16.9 cfs

very low for this date

Weather outlook

Monday · 100

  • Tue

    90

  • Wed

    65

  • Thu

    89

  • Fri

    94

  • Sat

    93

  • Sun

    93

  • Mon

    100

    Best

Compares forecast wind, air temperature and rain. Does not assess river flow, swell, currents, water temperature or launch access. All times are local to this location.

Wind, next 12 hours

mph
Hourly wind forecast
HourWind (mph)Gusts (mph)
12a38
1a37
2a44
3a44
4a12
5a56
6a35
7a44
8a13
9a23
10a56
11a55

Is this flow normal for September 29?

Today's 16.9 cfs is 40% below the median for this date — which counts as very low water here.

The median flow on this date is 28 cfs, across 45 years of USGS record at this gauge. Whether that is runnable depends on the stretch — this is context, not a recommendation.

Why this score

  • Wind — 4 mph — light wind at the forecast location±0
  • Cold — 50°F air temperature — cool weather; water temperature is not measured-15

We don't have launch notes for this one

This page is built from the USGS gauge at this location, and uses available public readings. We haven't verified where to put in, what the hazards are, or whether this stretch is legal or sensible to paddle. We'd rather say that than invent it. The links below are where to find out.

We also don't have a verified safe-flow range here, so the Paddle Score reflects weather only. Judge the flow number against local knowledge, not against our score.

Do your own homework

We show you live conditions. For local knowledge — where to put in, what the hazards are, whether it's worth the drive — here's where paddlers actually talk about this water. We don't vet these sources; check the dates and judge for yourself.

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