First-world problems, I know. Paddling the Big Salmon River Ruby Range Adventure. Lacking a major mining boom like the Colorado Silver Boom, few access roads pierce the range, requiring long backpacking trips to penetrate the range and reach the highest peaks. It is not uncommon to have eagles above you and salmon or steelhead below you in the crystal clear water. More Alaska reading is available from our Bookstore. $$$ We think the Wind River is the finest river trip on the south side of the Brooks Range. He had no drysuit so if he had gone for a swim it couldve ended very poorly. In the absence of a real freeze-up before your trip, I imagine it will be fine but there may be a few cobble bars youll have to walk or scoot through. For sometime going here to the Verde and the Mazatzal in the winter to hike and wander for abit has been big on my list. I am very interested in cruising mild river conditions during an extended backpacking trek at some point in the future. Backcountry access Bettles, AK. If you get hot, jump in the river for a cool down. Be more. Hey Luc, Thanks for putting energy into this. A Frenchman was reported overdue around the northern end of Lake Rotorua. Topographically, Broad Pass is a fascinating area. . The vastness of the wilderness virtually demanded that I go see it. American Whitewater Incident ReportGreg Mills, personal communication. Duration 1-4 . Ken Knight and I had a little exchange going in another thread in which I pulled in my horns a bitbut having spent 10 years guiding wilderness canoe trips and many more as an avid paddler, it's hard for me to not react strongly. You base camp on the river and paddle a different section each day. Hiked in ~12miles on the Highline trail from the Green River Lakes trailhead to Beaver Park on Friday, set up camp, ran ~3miles of the river to the one class III drop to get a feel for the river. Cold rains and snow are possible, but mostly, bad weather might come in the form of rain. ", "Of all outfitters with whom we have worked (and that is quite a number), you were by far the most organized and responsive. Anfibio is also making a really light, less that 2 pound, dry suit. Many of the creeks, like the Dinwoody . The adventure range of packrafts are versatile and varied. Take a series of classes and then buy a book. This route offers 39 miles of class I & class II rapids, numerous sandy beaches to camp on, and some of the most scenic landscape you will ever see. Below Smith Rock are some meaty . In fact, a $15 "Walmart special" PFD will likely have the exact same amount of flotation rating as a $200 boutique sea kayaking vest. Hardshell kayakers consider a PFD one of the five essentials you dont put on the water without one. Great shot, Ryan! Climbed Squaretop the next day via the 3rd/4th class scramble from Granite Lake. Kathryn Montana Perkinson is a writer living in Lander, Wyoming. In the summer of 2015 a German paddler disappeared in the Sndre Strmfjord near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Youll sleep with the relaxing sound of the water and learn how to leave the places you travel through better than you found them. When it comes to Wind River Range backpacking routes, there are a few premier trails to choose from, each varying in length, difficulty and terrain. He was wearing a life vest but not a dry suit. Even here in the Southeast, the rule is dress for the swim. For someone not at all familiar with this region- when specifically? I often leave the drysuit behind, but it is always a calculated decision. Seemingly defying gravity, the Hollyford's waters take you to the coast, then after only crossing an 80m high saddle, the Pyke guides you most of the way back towards where you began. It has these additional benefits: it can be worn under a properly sized windshirt or rainwear for insulation, in lieu of a high loft vest; the two side straps and the accordion style foam on the sides allow a comfortable athletic fit for paddling; and there is an elastic safety loop that locks the zipper in place. It is unclear if these were involved in the fatality. We did this on the first weekend in December. I dont recommend trimming the neck gasket as you can easily ruin it stretch it over a form and check it regularly so you dont over stretch it. Pack less. I have found that if I invert mine and put a thin insulating pad on it, it makes a very cushy mattress. And, you dont paddle with someone who doesnt have one on. Heres the takeaway lesson for me (if Im correct that he was on Class II/III water): Incidents rarely occur due to one obvious mistake. Moose river loop up in Jackman Maine, More than 30 miles . Seneca Lake is right at the beginning of some of the most spectacular high alpine climbing and backpacking routes. The reporting party was reached and assisted within hours, and the missing packrafter was found, deceased, on rocks farther downriver. He then intended to float to the Alcan Highway in the Yukon. Im looking forward to not updating this page. Duration 14 Days Level . Care to give any thoughts on this shelter? From Beaver Park down to the lakes is an enjoyable Class II float with a couple small drops and some wood. The water in Wind River Country is not to be missed. Cosmic Ashtray via Wolverine/Little Death Hollow & Escalante River? Rescuers were notified, but unable to save him. With at risk kids we took 6-9 days but you could do it faster. One of my favorite musicians has a great song about the Verde River (he lives in Jerome). 531. I misspoke relative to the Astral Kapok (natural material) PFDs. Additional details from a Washington Post article mention that Peter had limited experience rafting in cold water and was not wearing a PFD. Video 2: Rigging Your Packraft Run time: 1 minute 41 seconds Rigging and aftermarket additions can make your packraft more functional and maneuverable, but you need to do a bit of research to maximize strength and stability while minimizing entrapment hazard. During the passage of the rapid, all our three boats were overturned, two of us managed to reach the right bank. 6hrs round trip. I find the notion of the torso light torso burrito "interesting.". Once at the lake we followed game trails through the open areas on the left/ north side of the lake to a prominent shelf then traversed right to the large gully descending from the saddle, linked rock ribbons on the left side of the gully to the saddle staying mostly off the snow, some cairns. Twenty of the 21 highest mountains in Wyoming are in the Winds, all except for the Grand Teton, just a couple hours' drive north. The geography of the lake system provides 30 km of wind fetch before the crossing point. Marty had extensive wilderness experiences throughout his lifetime. Please post more pics if you have time or put them on your blog. Mostly Class II. Rescuers responded to a PLB (personal location beacon) SOS call. Satellite imagery shows large rapids just out of sight from his probable put in. Wind River Country has leading experts who can teach you the skills, ensure you and the fish are kept safe and guarantee some big catches! This sub Class warrants mention as packrafts can often tackle tight creeks at low flows that are quite technical in nature with lots of manoeuvring required. Body Glove mens 3t Cinch-m Water Shoe, Black/Yellow, 11 US. All boaters had dry suits, helmets and PFDs. . Get Backpacking Light news, updates, gear info, skills, and commentary delivered into your inbox 1-2x/week. Home Forums Campfire Photo Gallery Packrafting - Wind Rivers - 4/15/07. Aidan Don (22) and a friend were dropped off by airplane at Nizina Lake, intending to float the Nizina back down to McCarthy. A common itinerary involves riding a bus into the park, disembarking and hiking south from the Denali Park Road, and then floating a river back to the road.Alternatively, your trip might involve floating north from the Denali Park Road, and hiking back via the same or a . He truly gave us the trip we wanted! Find more at kathrynmontana.com and @kathrynmontana. In all 3 of 4 boats were lost; all were later recovered by good Samaritans and/or Nova Alaska Guides. Richard, Kapok? That said, some PFDs will offer significant advantages over those casually . Getting onto rising river, capsize and inability to get back into craft due to rising water levels, this river floods all the time and portaging the gorge is a bit of a nightmare bush-bash). Expect the unexpected and prepare to be flexible. Jaymes H. Schoenberg (22) and a partner used packrafts to cross the swollen Sagavanirktok River en route to Arctic Village. What Ive learned is that you can be reasonably comfortable in a drysuit even in warmer weather wear lightest layers or shorts under it. But you dont need to hike 15 miles to 12,000 feet above sea level if you dont want to. Backpacking Light helps hikers and other backcountry enthusiasts overcome their barriers to living a life outside in Wild Places. WIND RIVER, YUKON. Given that his body was recovered with his boat, I assume he was trapped with it. Sunny and no wind! Unrestricted access to all forums, plus the ability to post and start new threads. Ryan, thanks that paints a picture of small, semi-technical, low volume streams. The Valdez search and rescue team responded to an inReach alert regarding a missing packrafter. I also measured the weight for a number of PFD sizes above and below L/XL. It's fine with me for folks to take whatever risks that they wish, as long as they are informed. Experience the grandeur of wilderness and the excitement of river travel on this clear and beautiful river. #3 boat was lost when it was released to pull Marty from the water. So, I usually, for small creeks and calm water, use a TorsoLite pad wrapped around my chest under my shell. Every time a string of free days approaches, Ive been waiting until the very last minute to nail something down because nothing exciting has been jumping out at me. Thats a really heavy list. 12 day backpacking and packrafting in Gates of the Arctic, Alaska. The Windriver Range offers some of the lower 48s wildest country. Obviously this river is not suitable for our 16 footer, though! Colin had considerable experience, including Class IV paddling and actively training to become an ANG Pararescue Jumper (PJ). Don't like ads? I stretched the neck gasket over a large muscle-milk container for a day or two and it was still just a little tight. But whats our best kept secret? I am a life-long whitewater kayaker and just getting into packrafting. Imagine this: waking up to the smell of crackling bacon, watching morning sunlight hit the Dinwoody Cirque and listening to a Clarks nutcracker sing from a whitebark pine outside your tent. See you next year! A 3/4 length pad works better for flotation but tends to roll you, where the short length of the torsolite keeps you chest up, but making it harder to do an aggressive swim if needed. If you find yourself in Dubois, check out Wind River Flyfitter. If AW isnt a good fit, maybe APA would host something? Fishing can be for everyonewhether you want to spend an afternoon hanging out on a riverbank or go on a multi-day expedition. For our summer vacation in 2015 we decided to spend a week in August backpacking the Wind River Range in Wyoming. 5.0. A much cheaper, and smarter, alternative is to rent a packraft from Packraft America. Duration 1-4 Days Level Moderate Dates May-September Price $219-$425 View Tour. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. . Or you can rent a canoe or kayak at Louis Lake Lodge and have a fun overnight stay. With a packraft or IK, people boat this river down to 120 CFS, which opens up the season to fall through spring. Packraft ForumFairbanks Daily News Miner, page 1 and 6. It's late and I'm tired (!) His partners found him after thirty minutes and performed CPR, but recovery was not possible. Some of them are only runnable in the early summer when the melting snows keep them flooded. To be honest, my first reaction is that it's wacked. 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