Packraft Routes

steve

steve

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Dec 11, 2013
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Got any packraft trips/routes on your radar that you'd like to do one day? I thought we could use this thread to discuss and plan out potential packraft trips.
 
what's the issue packrafting in yellowstone
 
everywhere I can! I'd like to hit the escalante, san rafael, snake, parts of powell, and maybe the price river too this year. i have a lot more research to do.
 
Here's an epic loop trip I've been day dreaming about...

Start off on Sweet Alice Road at the head of Youngs Canyon. Head down Bowdie Canyon for a few days exploring, packraft 8 miles of Cataract Canyon on the Colorado to Dark Canyon, head up Dark to Youngs and back to the car. I assume one would need a permit for the short stretch of Cataract, not sure how that would work.
 
BJett said:
Here's an epic loop trip I've been day dreaming about...

Start off on Sweet Alice Road at the head of Youngs Canyon. Head down Bowdie Canyon for a few days exploring, packraft 8 miles of Cataract Canyon on the Colorado to Dark Canyon, head up Dark to Youngs and back to the car. I assume one would need a permit for the short stretch of Cataract, not sure how that would work.
Click to expand...

That would be way cool. Couldn't you get away with it since it's not actually in Canyonlands National Park?

I'm reluctant to even think too hard about packraft routes for fear it will end up costing me money. I think I've reached my limit on boat purchases for a while.... :confused:
 
Might be cool to do some stuff on the San Juan too, Steve. I haven't actually thought hard about it, but maybe a big hike through Grand Gulch and then hop on the river stopping to explore along the way. Take out at the usual spot, or follow it all the way into Powell and let me pick you up in the 'toon.
 
i'm seriously considering hiking down mcloyd and fish canyons to butler wash and following it to the san juan, floating down to grand gulch and hiking it back up to the car.

also a couple trips in alaska.
 
BJett said:
Here's an epic loop trip I've been day dreaming about...

Start off on Sweet Alice Road at the head of Youngs Canyon. Head down Bowdie Canyon for a few days exploring, packraft 8 miles of Cataract Canyon on the Colorado to Dark Canyon, head up Dark to Youngs and back to the car. I assume one would need a permit for the short stretch of Cataract, not sure how that would work.
Click to expand...

What are those 8 miles of cataract like? Class V?
 
Nick said:
Might be cool to do some stuff on the San Juan too, Steve. I haven't actually thought hard about it, but maybe a big hike through Grand Gulch and then hop on the river stopping to explore along the way. Take out at the usual spot, or follow it all the way into Powell and let me pick you up in the 'toon.
Click to expand...

I'd love to follow it all the way into powell. I'm not going to lie, I prefer paddling over hiking. The San Juan is definitely on my list.
 
What are those 8 miles of cataract like? Class V?
Click to expand...

I've never run Cataract but I don't think that section is very rowdy at normal/low water levels. might be some class II easy III rapids at the most, and probably sneak routes.
 
Steve - have you figured out what the total extra weight is that you have to carry for packraft trips? Specifically raft+paddle+PFD+anything else I'm forgetting. I was just perusing Forest's southern Utah guide, and I couldn't help but think to myself that for a lot of that stuff, I'd rather just float the river and day hike up into the hiking portions, or do the big hiking portions just as backpack trips and avoid carrying all that extra stuff. Not the case for all of it, especially something like the Escalante, Muddy Creek and even that Davis-Fifty trip, but the San Juan, Canyonlands and Labyrinth routes he showed all made me wonder if it's really worth packing all that stuff.
 
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