packrafting wind river range
Any late season info you could provide would be helpful! My objective in posting was to gain some clarity about what you're doing, how, and under what circumstances / constraints. A guidebook describes the area above and below this section as Class V. Neither Class V section is scoutable from the road. Mostly Class II. apparently flipped his small raft shortly after putting in and quickly encountered violent waves and hydraulics. There has been some discussion about how they were able to rent boats without safety equipment. The APA Forum has a place for reporting accidents, but it doesnt get any use. Stephen Andrew Bowler, 30, died in a packrafting incident on the Caples River, New Zealand. 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. Perfect conditions. It's also certainly possible that I'm missing something here, so don't want to get to far up on the soapbox, but this strikes me as a really poor idea. Hey Luc, Thanks for putting energy into this. Have you used one? Join. I was more used to Appalachian rivers, which tend to have big rapids separated by flatwater pools. A calm and quiet river, perfectly suited for a trip with the whole family. Seneca Lake is right at the beginning of some of the most spectacular high alpine climbing and backpacking routes. Backpacking in one of the lesser-known areas of the CO Rocky Mountains. Relevant resources: American Whitewater maintains an incident database, American Packrafting Association is close to publishing a safety curriculum for packrafters. This is the first verified packraft fatality due to entanglement. No direction but to follow what you know. $$$ We think the Wind River is the finest river trip on the south side of the Brooks Range. All recordings are now online! Peter was paddling alone, in an Alpacka Raft Scout, which is not intended for use in whitewater. Continuing to encourage drysuit use in the packrafting community is important. Im sure youll have a blast anywhere in the wind river range however. The adventure range of packrafts are versatile and varied. Seems like a beautiful float so we were hoping to get a hike in and then check it out - if the water was reasonable. Virginia resident Peter Jolles, 46, was reported overdue at a Bugaboo Creek takeout, British Columbia, and has not yet been located. Dave is a superb guide. Rates start at $30 per day for a five- or six-day rental. in his pockets, which would have worked against his PFDs buoyancy. Wind River Range North: Beartooth Publishing; USGS 7.5 minute topographical Maps: New Fork Lakes; Squaretop Mountain; and Gannett Peak available at www.store.usgs.gov; Books: Ron Adkison, Hiking Wyoming's Wind River Range. Given that his body was recovered with his boat, I assume he was trapped with it. Climbed Squaretop the next day via the 3rd/4th class scramble from Granite Lake. The MTI Livery PFD seems to be the best standard option for rough water packrafting at .9 lbs. I imagined hauling a packraft out of the Colorado River, maybe up Red Lake Canyon, where its often 10 degrees hotter than the surrounding areas. All recordings are now online! Or you can rent a canoe or kayak at Louis Lake Lodge and have a fun overnight stay. With 100 miles of incredible hikes to explore (popular during July and August), you'll have plenty of options. The paddler was in their 70s, and it is suspected that their paddle leash snagged the debris. Colin Buness (25) disappeared on a solo trip to the Katate, a tributary to the Stikine. Stephens boat was punctured and his helmet showed signs of impact, but not necessarily from this incident. Ive got some bare-bones notes on safety and outfitting, here. For spectacular river fly fishing, check out the North or the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie, the Green River or the Little Popo Agie. 3 miles of this was really fun class II+ starting just before Moose Creek Rd junction. The hike up to Berry Pass is seriously underrated, and the views of the 20 Mile watershed are absolutely . 09-09-2016, 08:05 #7. 2022 Dates July 17-21 (1 space left) 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! ", Wrangell St Elias and Glacier Bay National Parks. Morning came, inflated boat and enjoyed a leisurely paddle with no portages! No other details are available at this point. He was always willing and ready to teach, to talk, to listen, to do another hike, or to lie low in camp if we were beat. For another place to enjoy a quiet romp around the water, head up the Loop Road above Bruces Bridge in Sinks Canyon into the Shoshone National Forest. We do some river canoeing and sea kayaking, now I have to add desert paddling to the to-do list. Is the Aug 24-25 class still a go? Wrangell / St. Elias NPS Incident reportsWashington Post article. It appears to have been windy on the day of the accident. The total distance for his route was about 120 miles. 2.5 inches to accommodate his long legs. Fishing on the reservation is a unique and beautiful experience, just remember that youll need a special license. Don't like ads? Self-bailing and full spraydeck and skirt models, and attachments like thigh braces will keep you connected to the packraft, and smiling the whole time. Never Summer Wilderness, Colorado. Richard, Thanks for sharing! It has a scenic and brushless hike in, fun Class II to III whitewater, and sweeping views of the Alaska Range and Talkeetnas. Ben Kilbourne hikes and packrafts along the Green River in Wyoming. You can expect to learn about local fauna, see magical sights and catch some really big fish! Any input would be greatly appreciated. Wind River Range. There are over 1, 300 named lakes in the Wind River Range, and the headwaters of the Green River can be found here. All told, the range has more than 30 peaks higher than 13,000 feet and over 130 glaciers dispersed across three-quarters of a million acres of public land. Then take your fishing gear, license, a basket of sandwiches and beverages and sunglasses, and head to Wind River Countrys pristine fishing spots. Nisutlin River Family Tour Ruby Range Adventure. P.K. It ended up being a two minute swim. The reporting party was reached and assisted within hours, and the missing packrafter was found, deceased, on rocks farther downriver. Most skills learned are applicable to packrafting. Romain Qunhen, a Belgian on a roadtrip from BC to Alaska, went missing on the Nass River, BC, Romains packraft and backpack were recovered. I am not aware of any publication that teaches the basics of packrafting but, there are many that teach river kayaking. It was initially (wrongly) reported in the news as a packrafting fatality. I took one swim in it (so far) and stayed totally dry and warm. Saw no one on the porcupine trails and most people on the highline trail. An alpine valley at over 10,500 feet deep in the Wind River Range, Titcomb Basin lies below peaks on the Continental Divide that soar 3,000 feet above the Titcomb Lakes, the highest of which is 13,745-foot Fremont Peak. Hi all, this is a very old thread but thought Id see if anyone out there has any current info. Body Glove mens 3t Cinch-m Water Shoe, Black/Yellow, 11 US. Far East Alaska Range Luc Mehl. ago. The skill is in the fishers ability to mimic naturenoticing what bugs are hatching on the underside of rocks, what flies are wriggling on the surface of the still pools of eddies and learning where the fish like to hang out. Youtube videos of his boat dont show any perimeter lines, but do show a red leash connecting his paddle to the spray skirt grab loop. Visit www.WindRiver.org for license information, outfitters and guides. I am not sure this post will gain the attention of those needed to input, but can anyone suggest a starting point for packrafting? One of my favorite musicians has a great song about the Verde River (he lives in Jerome). Come to Wind River Country, and enjoy the magic of our mountain water. The Nizina is Class II where Aidan flipped out of his boat, but very cold and choked with glacial silt. The average packraft falls somewhere in the $800-$1000 range, which is a pretty penny for people just looking to get into the sport. Home Forums Campfire Photo Gallery Packrafting Wind Rivers 4/15/07. A real PFD is a whole lot better. Check Price at Amazon. In terms of lightest full whitewater pfds. Wind is a common factor in open water incidents. The water was high, estimated at three times median flow. After the climb we packrafted back to the trailhead, awesome! On Sunday, we put in back at the trailhead and paddled ~8miles below the lakes to the Big Bend pullout (http://wyomingnaturalist.com/river_green_warren.html ). 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. Best way to do this run would be to camp or stash equipment at the head of the second lake or at the rapid visible from the trail (there was even a tree in the rapid), and walk in the rest of the way to the put-in with only the boat. Then carry on, this time using your arms not your legs. $7,800 Beginning high in the tundra, the Wind River flows beneath limestone spires, past glacial lakes, and finally through the boreal forests of northern Alaska. We think he was scouting out the canyon and everything looked good to him, but he couldnt see around the corner of that bend, which is where we feel that he went into the water.. Lessons learned: Discuss rescue methods and plans before the run, practice boat reentry often, have communication devices inside dry suit, have contact numbers for each boater and rescue services (911 did an excellent job in this case and could locate caller). Most parties use either gullible friends or commercial shuttles. I would guess that the upper lake would also fish well. So, I like PFD's with pockets. Piggybacking on this topic from earlier. Select a suitable river (class 1 -2 ) by picking one, close to your home, from the book, "California White Water A Guide to the Rivers". Has anyone been out with a guide they reccommend? mkset.ru (Russian)KP.RU (Russian)Gorobzor.ru (Russian)GTRK TV (Russian). The rapids consist of steep drops and boulder gardens, as described in this link: river description (go to [4]). Hi Jay, yeah, a $50 PFD and $600 drysuit might have saved three of these lives. Martin Rinke (63), an experienced boater, fell out of his boat in the Lions Head section of Matanuska River. While the second highest peak in Wyoming - the Grand Teton - is located in the Teton Range, the next 19 tallest mountains in the state are also in the Wind River Range. During the passage of the rapid, all our three boats were overturned, two of us managed to reach the right bank. The next day, his empty raft and backpack were found on the southern shore, about 12km away. Scott - A packraft paddles much more like a river boat than a canoe, raft, or a touring kayak. How can we prevent holes from lining up? Joe Hutto, The Light in High . Or the Outfitters of the Wyoming Wilderness and Bear Basin Adventures in Dubois offer customizable pack trips with professional guides. Autumn on the Wind offers clear cold nights, aurora viewing, fall colors, and excellent hiking. Facts are very limited because the boater was alone with no witnesses. I appreciate the swiss-cheese model of incident causation to visualize this incidents occur when a bunch of small holes line up perfectly wrong. You're currently viewing a free preview of a member exclusive premium article. A small amount of each fee goes into (very) slowly building up PRANZ funds: For future projects which could involve training subsidies, maybe legal fees for the court battle to prevent a company damming a fantastic packrafting river The future is uncertain, and PRANZ wants to be in a position to help defend our packrafting opportunities. The water in Wind River Country is not to be missed. The consistent theme in these fatalities is getting separated from boats and partners, typically in cold and/or surprisingly swift (high) water. Peter was wearing full personal protective equipment (dry suit, PFD, helmet). The water temperature was not cold. Wind River Range Packrafting - YouTube Footage compiled from three separate packrafting trips in the high Winds, summer 2018.The Wind River Range features the largest set of glaciers in. Were going to be down in Pinedale over Labor Day weekend and wanted to get a gage to see if folks had ever checked out the Green River Lakes area this late in the year. Little headwind on the lakes, so the flat-water paddling wasnt that slow. Enjoy short, easy day hikes or more intense backpacking trips, depending on what wets your whistle. Theres a boat ramp and full marina to help meet your needs, and the serenity of the still water makes a perfect spot for some quality bird watching. This photo might be from this section of the river. Video 3: River Hazards Run time: 1 minute 37 seconds From Beaver Park down to the lakes is an enjoyable Class II float with a couple small drops and some wood. The Sndre Strmfjord is an almost linear, 170 km fjord which can funnel strong winds from the ice sheet. Nothing better connects you to this place and its waterways. I started looking at maps of the Wind River Range but despite the obvious beauty nothing was really jumping out at me there either. Check out Lander-based Wyoming Rivers Cooperative for details (they also offer incredible rafting trips). Stop in at a local fly shop like the Lander Fly Shop, Cutthroat Fly Shop in Dubois or Rocky Mountain Discount Sports in Riverton, where youll be able to buy your fishing license (or directed how to do it), buy the flies that are hatching and ask for some local beta about the hot spots. This is the third open water packraft fatality on record, highlighting the danger of open water crossings. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. It is likely that a dry suit would have made a huge difference. Snake River Lollipop Loop - Yellowstone National Park - August 8, 2021, Jemez River, Las Conchas Trail and Beyond, Pine River, Lake Creek, Flint Creek Loop San Juan. A club packraft trip down the grade 1 and 2 sections of the Rangitikei River. I'm glad this subject came up, because I was not going to use anything for river rafting in my 'toy' Sevylor TrailBoat, but this got me thinking I should at least make the 'burrito' or 'taco' with my GG ThinLight or a sitpad, and a shell. Once past the confluence with the East Fork of the Chandalar River, we enjoy a day of floating this broad clear river and then pull over at the appointed gravel bar, where our pilot will meet us. The Wind River Range is home to 228 named mountains, highest and most prominent of which is Gannet Peak (13,802ft/4207m) - the tallest peak in Wyoming. Jaymes overturned his boat and was quickly separated from his partner. Peter was visiting BC for an adventure race and stayed after the race to continue exploring the region. - Yellowstone National Park - September 13, 2021, Grand Canyon Loop: Thunder River -> Tapeats -> Kanab -> Sowats. Too many people are afraid to share their near miss stories for fear of judgement. Wyoming Rivers Cooperative is strategically located just 2 hours from Yellowstone National Park and Jackson Hole Wyoming, nestled in the foothills of the Wind River Mountains. As always, the trip was more than I expected and I had a great time. The Wind's crystal-clear waters are perfect and you can hike the alpine ridges. He was not wearing a PFD. The Continental Divide crests the Wind River Range's entire length. afternoon naps were a requirement on Saturday and Sunday; these dogs were barkin! It's not an ideal solution, and I try to use it only in a pinch in Class 2 water. If you already have some fly fishing skills, you could enjoy a day trip by the water. . Jaymes H. Schoenberg (22) and a partner used packrafts to cross the swollen Sagavanirktok River en route to Arctic Village. More info The Hollyford-Pyke Expedition Beginner / Intermediate New TRAIL DAYS ONLINE! 08/19/21 we all successfully passed the Straight Rapid on the Levaya Mama River (category 3). At this time of year the water will likely be cold (but not snow fed), so please make sure you have appropriate cold water packrafting gear. My route started and ended at Green river lakes area, went up lakeside trail to porcupine trail, lost trail for a mile then re-found it in a sound of music like meadow (saw some nice trout in the pools of this meadow stream), camped just short of intersection between south gypsum trail and porcupine pass, had a moose visitation just after sunset, next morning hiked straight up porcupine pass into beautiful mountain meadow with small stream (from melting snow spots) and what appeared to be cranberry bushes, stoutly in bloom, continued to new fork porcupine trail, then turned left to clark creek trail, did some tenkara fly fishing at Kenny lake (lake full of small trout, seemed like brown and brook trout, a bite on nearly every cast even with 10-15mph winds) set up camp at said lake; morning continued on down clark creek trail, (took a dip in Clark lake, that really woke me up) eventually joined highline trail and as soon as could see river walked through meadow, inflated boat and weaved through the river meadow after some time river became clogged with non-runnable wood jammed sieved out boulder gardens, very beautiful; I began to exhaustively portage around these obstacles eventually deflating and rejoining highline trail, setup camp approximately directly across from square top mountain. Rob was wearing rain gear and a PFD. Or you could take a few sandwiches, a case of bubbly water and a sun hat and spend the day fishing out of a canoe on Boysen Reservoir or on the outlet of Worthen Reservoir. So rather than get on a high-horse about it, could someone just describe the experience of swimming rapids in this rig? #3 boat was lost when it was released to pull Marty from the water. We think the Wind River is the finest rivertrip on the south side of the Brooks Range. 1 Thunder River Tr.-->Esplanade-->Tapeats-->Deer. Tp. Ben Kilbourne has been backpacking since his days in the womb. South Bay Board Co. - SUP Paddleboard Paddles - 4 Piece & 2 Piece Kayak/Paddle Board Paddle Options. 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). It's risky. First, the range is extremely remote. A Frenchman was reported overdue around the northern end of Lake Rotorua. Become a BCP Supporting Member and kiss them all goodbye. Lodging, non-camp meals, personal clothing and gear, waterproof river bag, fishing gear, and fishing license. Such a joy to spend days where time was meaningless. This feature requires an active Backpacking Light Membership. This run is indeed a packrafting classic. Use the links below to share this content: Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total). The Green River is nestled in one of our most beloved mountain ranges, the Wind River Range, and immediately knew it had to be the destination of our second packrafting trip. The paddlers were two weeks into a bikepacking trip. Google Earth, GaiaGPS, topo maps and more. Nova Alaska Guides extricated Marty and boater #3. This can be combined with a loop hike and a climb of Gannet and/or Square top. I will adopt that when discussing with people interested in the sport. It appears to have been windy on the fjord on the day he disappeared. You mentioned to me in an email that you have terrific guides - you do indeed. In the summer of 2015 a German paddler disappeared in the Sndre Strmfjord near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Post new content to the community including gear swaps, reviews, trip reports and more! Wind River Country reservoirs and lakes are really fun for stand up paddleboarding. It is a harsh environment with very short summers, 24-hour daylight, strong winds, unrelenting terrain, grizzly bears, wolves, hazardous rivers, and no help for as far as you can imagine. The party members discussed and identified these factors as relevant causes: The rapidly risen water level, that had changed the complexity level of the rapid, overestimation of our own capabilities and underestimation of the severity of the obstacle were the cause of what happened. They have seven options for rafts, plus a range of accessories and spare parts. 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