packrafting wind river range

Wind River Mountain Range. 5. 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 . Outfits like Diamond 4 Ranch or Sweetwater Fishing Expeditions out of Lander can haul your belongings into the mountains on a guided pack trip into the Winds, which includes camp, horses, a guide and a cook. 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. They are known for their affordable entry-level produtcs with a solid quality.They offer inflatable kayak for a pretty long time and extended the product range to packrafts recently as well. Luc, thanks for caring, researching, and publishing! Winner Creek to 20 Mile Packraft. I cancelled a river trip the next day on that note and went day hiking instead. No, it was a swiftwater river between lakes at the Jokullsarlon Lagoon. In terms of lightest full whitewater pfds. 2.5 inches to accommodate his long legs. This, combined with wearing it under a shell, keeps it in place quite well. This run is indeed a packrafting classic. He also reportedly lost his prescription glasses in a river crossing.. Thanks for putting this together and keeping the risks real. Theres beautiful hiking in the area, for after you get your fill of time on the water. Backpacking Light helps hikers and other backcountry enthusiasts overcome their barriers to living a life outside in Wild Places. It appears to have been windy on the day of the accident. ", "That feeling of wide open wonder, the possibilities for nearly limitless wandering, and the image of those proud caribouthat will stay with me a long time", "Our guide was an encyclopedia on legs. Join us for fun paddling and wildlife watching in the Brooks Range this fall. My trip reports: backpackandbeer.blogspot.com. Check out Lander-based Wyoming Rivers Cooperative for details (they also offer incredible rafting trips). We set up camp and enjoy our first night in the wilderness. Pretty depressing to see fatalities related to no-PFD. Check Price at Amazon. One-meter waves were reported on shore after the incident. The classic Alaskan boots we were given were a source of concern, as well. What sort of construction keeps it dry? I misspoke relative to the Astral Kapok (natural material) PFDs. Starting on the open tundra, it flows beneath limestone spires, past glacial lakes, and through the boreal forests of northern Alaska. South Bay Board Co. - SUP Paddleboard Paddles - 4 Piece & 2 Piece Kayak/Paddle Board Paddle Options. Thanks to packrafts, you can combine a world-class Grand Canyon backpacking journey with a jaunt down the river. All recordings are now online! 1 Thunder River Tr.-->Esplanade-->Tapeats-->Deer. I know the others would concur in my praise. Enjoy short, easy day hikes or more intense backpacking trips, depending on what wets your whistle. The crux of the route was finding the trail to Granite Lake. Home Forums Campfire Photo Gallery Packrafting Wind Rivers 4/15/07. Juneau Police Department information release (2021-09-07)Juneau Empire article. ago. 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. He allowed Adrian and me to hike at our own pace and he encouraged all of us to explore the area surrounding our campsites. It's not an ideal solution, and I try to use it only in a pinch in Class 2 water. TRIP DETAILS The other activities are endless: at Boysen, you will relish in the scenic and comfortable camping set ups, volleyball courts and picnic areas. Depending on circumstances, we can sometimes provide a shuttle service if necessary for nearby options. Seneca Lake Trail. It's risky. For fisherman an Alpacka in the Winds is an ideal way to fish some of the remote alpine lakes in search of the elusive goldon trout. It is not marked, nor obvious, with lots of deadfall obscuring the start of the trail. There is a concerted effort to efficiently develop a Culture of Safety for packrafters in the hopes that we can skip the history of incidents that our peers in other water crafts have experienced. 20 Days of Backpacking & Packrafting the Brooks Range in Alaska - Aqua Bound Colorado Outward Bound instructors, Noah Larsen and Arthur Shain, took on Alaska's Brooks Range for a 400-mile packraft and backpack expedition in August. The Wilderness Classic participants generally do not use drysuits. There is nothing absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Water Rat, The Wind in the Willows. I also had to beg my little brother out of doing the Nenana Canyon without a drysuit, I couldve very well be sans 1 little bro at this point! Refine your skills before committing to a day of it. The group had committed to portaging all of the gorges, but Stephen re-assessed and decided to run the first gorge, alone. A Membership is required to post in the forums. Any late season info you could provide would be helpful! Nahuel Huapi took them by surprise with violent waves, hit their boats and threw them into the water. A second boater was able to recover her boat, presumably re-enter, and paddle to shore. My chest is 45" and so this is the size I weighed. I wonder if we should compile a few near miss case studies too. 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. Some of them are only runnable in the early summer when the melting snows keep them flooded. The Wrangells traverse is an Alaskan classic and is often the first route that gets recommended when discussing packrafting in the last frontier. 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. Satellite imagery shows large rapids just out of sight from his probable put in. He is personable, knowledgeable about the Arctic, and has excellent group management skills. Body Glove mens 3t Cinch-m Water Shoe, Black/Yellow, 11 US. 2023WindRiverVisitorsCouncil. P.K. I bought the Kokatat Swift Entry drysuit with relief zipper. The APA Forum has a place for reporting accidents, but it doesnt get any use. Looks like a lot of fun. 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). We were able to nail them down for a video chat Skip to content Close menu SHOP Kayak Paddles High-Angle Low-Angle Get our free Handbook and Receive our weekly newsletter to see what's new at Backpacking Light! Piggybacking on this topic from earlier. 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. Courses Instruction. apparently flipped his small raft shortly after putting in and quickly encountered violent waves and hydraulics. TRAIL DAYS ONLINE! Three packrafters capsized in the Delicsky rapids ( ) section of Levaya Mama River (Baikal region of Russia). I had been to the Cirque of the Towers area as a Boy Scout, somehow singeing my hair with white gas, leaving plenty of trace by rolling rocks down scree slopes, and then managing to get lost on my way back to the car. I've posted more photos and comments from this trip here: Packrafting in the Winds @ RyanJordan.com. The Wind River lies in the northern half of the Yukon Territory, Canada just south of the Arctic Circle. The Wind River Range is one of the best backpacking + climbing wildernesses in the lower 48. Insufficient safety equipment (PFD and/or drysuit) was common in the earlier incidents, and perhaps less so more recently. I dont know if that will come back around, but maybe worth watching their site. $$$ We think the Wind River is the finest river trip on the south side of the Brooks Range. Life on the river is sensational. No intent to chide. Is the Aug 24-25 class still a go? 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. A calm and quiet river, perfectly suited for a trip with the whole family. Relevant resources: American Whitewater maintains an incident database, American Packrafting Association is close to publishing a safety curriculum for packrafters. Definitely a near miss that couldve been avoided by better route planning and scouting blind corners. You base camp on the river and paddle a different section each day. Far East Alaska Range Luc Mehl. 6. But its only a matter of time. Photo: Getty. Cosmic Ashtray via Wolverine/Little Death Hollow & Escalante River? Elkhart/Titcomb/Knapsack/Shannons Pass loop back to Elkhart, or continue to Green River Lakes Trailhead? Rescue personnel recovered Peters packraft but had to discontinue search efforts due to high water conditions. Sat comm options, principles of self-rescue, Lobbying for the Arctic Refuge, Washington DC, Queenstown man killed in rafting accident was passionate about wildlife, Juneau Police Department information release (2021-09-07), https://www.gifu-np.co.jp/news/20200120/20200120, https://www.terracestandard.com/news/search-called-off-for-nass-river-kayaker/, https://www.haidagwaiiobserver.com/news/belgian-man-linked-as-possible-missing-kayaker-in-nass-river/, Wrangell / St. Elias NPS Incident reports, https://www.alpackaraft.com/rafting/should-it-stay-or-should-it-go/, Risk Assessment for Rivers and Avalanches Things To Luc At, May 2021: Promoting the packrafting Culture of Safety Things To Luc At, The Packraft Handbook by Luc Mehl chicagobackpacker.com, If my book were a playlist Things To Luc At, The American Whitewater Accident Database Things To Luc At, How To Stay Safe When You're Packrafting - Jacksons MMA, One Boot for All: Backcountry Ski Boots For Everything, Improper equipment (packraft not intended for whitewater), Wood hazards were present and the boat was damaged, but nobody really knows what happened, Presumed flush drowning (difficult swim through rocks), Significant experience, but considerable discomfort with water. I am sure that a custom PFD could be created that weighs less than the MTI Livery but, the safety tolerance would probably be lower. Damn brother. I assume that you've looked at "squirt vests" that pull on over the head no zipper weight? The Forager, Gnarwhal and Wolverine are from . Nova Alaska Guides extricated Marty and boater #3. Many of the creeks, like the Dinwoody, have wonderful floatable sections. As part of the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic, Rob Kehrer (44) and Greg Mills portaged the Tana River Canyon (Class IV), putting in below the technical features. The total distance for his route was about 120 miles. Wind River Country is known for its pristine mountains and all of the activitiesthat go along with themrock climbing, backpacking, trail running, horsepacking and mountain biking, just to name a few. If AW isnt a good fit, maybe APA would host something? Who knows it could be helpful context for someone reading this to shape their own decisions. A club packraft trip down the grade 1 and 2 sections of the Rangitikei River. Sarah Kilbourne Wind River Visitors Council Christchurch to Clarence Bridge - 240km. I need survival and misc gear in my PFD firestarting kit, knife, whistle, camera, and a snack. There are some beautiful campsites nestled into the shores of the lakeslike the sandy campsites youll find when you kayak or canoe across Worthen Reservoir from the boat ramp. Do your part to help! Two weeks after running sections of the lower Mat with Marty he led the same group of 4 on Lions head. This can be combined with a loop hike and a climb of Gannet and/or Square top. While these paddles impressively combine a lightweight and packable build with durability, a range of standard double-bladed kayak paddles can also get the job done. And theres something for everyone: whether youre looking for a mild day relaxing by the water, or a wild multi-day adventure, weve got something for you. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. I am most familiar with California Canoe and Kayak (CCK) classes and guides in Northern CA. Youll live with the sun and relish in the outstanding combination of mellow current pulling your boat along and the excitement of stretches of rapids. After contact by cell phone they walked out to Mat Glacier view area. Can you swim strongly and with confidence to affect a self-rescue? Ryan In the photo Packraftingboulder8 the pack rafts are outside the shelters. Our premium articles include in depth journalism and insights from the Backpacking Light editorial team. Transportation beyond Fairbanks, food while in the wilderness, stoves, cooking & eating utensils, boats, paddles, life jackets, safety & repair gear and professional guide service. Additional details from a Washington Post article mention that Peter had limited experience rafting in cold water and was not wearing a PFD. Join the mailing list Receive emails with resources & training opportunities "Start and End at Home" Online trip and emergency planning course "Paddle Up a Level" Online packrafting course "Wild Ice" Online ice safety course River safety & rescue Packraft-specific rescue and skill instruction; Mind & Mountain My wife Sarah's awesome fitness programs: Ski . Peter was visiting BC for an adventure race and stayed after the race to continue exploring the region. Packrafts are known as very forgiving crafts. Anybody out there find the lightest foam-filled PFD? Wrangell / St. Elias NPS Incident reportsWashington Post article. TRAIL DAYS ONLINE! All boats were Alpacka Llamas. wanted to get a gage to see if folks had ever checked out the Green River Lakes area this late in the year. The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and includes Gannett Peak, which at 13,802 ft (4,207 m), is the highest peak in Wyoming; and also Fremont Peak at 13,750 ft (4,191 m), the third . Authors note: this list is by no means exhaustive of all of the incredible activities, outfitters and shops in Wind River Country. He had a full safety kit (PFD, helmet, drysuit), frequently scouted rapids, and frequently swam. I'm wanting a real whitewater PFD. Moments later he went through another hole and was separated from his boat. 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. 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". 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. Can we expect a review? Packrafting Course Level 1: Medium 2 days (3rd optional) $$ Learn and practice the foundational skills you need to have fun on the water. Autumn on the Wind offers clear cold nights, aurora viewing, fall colors, and excellent hiking. If the paddle leash is strong enough to hold a pinned boat or paddler in mild current, it is a potential killer. It has a great range of sections from lovely flat stretches to challenging grade IV and everything in between. 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. The water in Wind River Country is not to be missed. Thats a really heavy list. What is clear is that Yalil had a leash attaching himself to the boat and was trapped by the leash (not the black rope in the photo below that is part of the coaming). Native to the Sierra Nevada, California allowed their exportation for a brief time, and Wyoming stocked a handful of lakes in the Wind River Range. You can also see a progression of the sport from Alaska-centric, to global, from 2009 to today. If you are into adventures, you must raft the Escalante River. Great shot, Ryan! 531. Standard technique: feet down, chest up. There was a rafting death on the Landsborough River recentlya really popular wilderness packrafting trip. Backpacking in the Wind River Range. Contrary to the marketing hype I read, they weren't lighter than the comparable PFDs with foam sorry Roman. Richard, Kapok? Whoever you choose to go with, extended time in the mountains fishing is a must. Heck, it might even be the best solo boat of any type we've paddled. 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. It was an easy decision to stay in the sleeping bag until late morning, and we ate breakfast in the car to . Rates start at $30 per day for a five- or six-day rental. You can now take guided packrafting trips in Wind River Country. Care to give any thoughts on this shelter? No other details are available at this point. 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. View Profile View Forum Posts . Rob flipped in some of the big water hydraulics and was instantly separated from his boat and Greg. I hope to see a trip report, and some discussion of your gear and how to protect it, since I am planning a Spring trip with my wimpy little Sevylor 'trail boat'.. Is that one of the larger Sealline Stormsacks you lashed on the front? He had no drysuit so if he had gone for a swim it couldve ended very poorly.