packrafting wind river range

A club packraft trip down the grade 1 and 2 sections of the Rangitikei River. I know the others would concur in my praise. The second boater attempting to land river left flipped and lost his boat. Photo: Getty. For ocean kayaking I use the Sabre, and I also need pockets, they are stuffed with signal/commo devices. WIND RIVER, YUKON. But its only a matter of time. Paddling the Big Salmon River Ruby Range Adventure. It's risky. I will soon own one of those Kokatats. It's late and I'm tired (!) 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". Its perhaps one of the best ways to practice presence and to learn to notice. P.O. 18.4 mi / 2280 ft gain. Traveler. From the toe of the glacier, the river leaves the lake and heads through a windy mini . It is not uncommon to have eagles above you and salmon or steelhead below you in the crystal clear water. This feature requires an active Backpacking Light Membership. Mosquito season should be overbut bring a small bottle of DEET repellent just in case. Rob flipped in some of the big water hydraulics and was instantly separated from his boat and Greg. Juneau Police Department information release (2021-09-07)Juneau Empire article. Winner Creek to 20 Mile Packraft. 2022 Dates July 17-21 (1 space left) The MTI Livery PFD seems to be the best standard option for rough water packrafting at .9 lbs. For most whitewater and river packrafters a paddle between 200-210cm is the ideal, if you are doing more touring you can increase the length by 5-10cm. He camped on the northern shore of the Thingvallavatn lake the evening before he went missing. In this case it is likely that Peter didnt get to see the hardest rapids from the road, he was in a boat that wasnt designed for whitewater, the water was high, wood was likely in the river, and maybe the biggest hole: he was paddling alone. Backpacking Light helps hikers and other backcountry enthusiasts overcome their barriers to living a life outside in Wild Places. Stephen and two partners were on a three-day packrafting excursion. Even the low point along this trip (Big Sandy Trailhead) is at 9,100 feet, so you'll be at high elevation for the duration of the trip. apparently flipped his small raft shortly after putting in and quickly encountered violent waves and hydraulics. Im looking forward to not updating this page. It appears to have been windy on the fjord on the day he disappeared. Unrestricted access to all forums, plus the ability to post and start new threads. With a packraft or IK, people boat this river down to 120 CFS, which opens up the season to fall through spring. Thanks to Konstantin Gridnevskiy and Taras Popov for sharing this information. This 3-day expedition can be guided or self-guided and will see you cruising down the Waiau River into Lake Manapouri, exploring stunning islands, isthmuses and white sandy beaches as you go. He also reportedly lost his prescription glasses in a river crossing.. You will be warm, confident, and paddle more aggressively because you are not afraid to be in the water. The Wind River lies in the northern half of the Yukon Territory, Canada just south of the Arctic Circle. It is likely that the rapids caught Romain off guard. His experiences on the land, whether triumphant or thwarted by events either in or out of his control, have provided the foundation for the work he does. Click here for more info. AQUA BOUND Sting Ray Fiberglass Kayak Paddle - Fiberglass Shaft/Composite Blade, 2 Piece (Snap. Ryan In the photo Packraftingboulder8 the pack rafts are outside the shelters. There's the Caribou, Forager, Gnarwhal, Wolverine, Scout and Explorer 42, as well as the Classic Series. 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. Satellite imagery shows large rapids just out of sight from his probable put in. Wind could hold you up in a packraft at times. Some may question whether it was worth lugging a 6lb boat, ~2lb paddle, ~1lb life jacket in addition to my backpacking gear up 3,000 feet of rugged mountains to 11,000 feet to float out the green river for half a day, but I believe it was. We are lucky enough to be located 10 minutes walk from the diverse Murrumbidgee river. The Hollyford-Pyke loop is probably NZ's most classic packrafting trip. * A Basic Membership is required to view Member Q&A events. Get Backpacking Light news, updates, gear info, skills, and commentary delivered into your inbox 1-2x/week. The Wind's crystal-clear waters are perfect and you can hike the alpine ridges. The APA Forum has a place for reporting accidents, but it doesnt get any use. Their first packraft was the Itiwit Packraft Adventure 500, which we have already reviewed. Continuing to encourage drysuit use in the packrafting community is important. 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. These are the fatalities Im familiar > with; all but one have occurred in Alaska. Autumn on the Wind offers clear cold nights, aurora viewing, fall colors, and excellent hiking. Sounds like a good decision! Great shot, Ryan! Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=54904743/a=25662137_25662137/t_=25662137, http://jhpackraft.com/packraft-info/trip-ideas/, http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=09188500, http://wyomingnaturalist.com/river_green_warren.html. The general plan is to start at the Spring Creek trailhead near Pinedale, spend a few days hiking and fishing our way over into the green river drainage, and then floating out to Green River lakes. Moose river loop up in Jackman Maine, More than 30 miles . The average packraft falls somewhere in the $800-$1000 range, which is a pretty penny for people just looking to get into the sport. It is not marked, nor obvious, with lots of deadfall obscuring the start of the trail. Anybody out there find the lightest foam-filled PFD? Marty lived above the Matanuska River near the Lions Head run. The group had committed to portaging all of the gorges, but Stephen re-assessed and decided to run the first gorge, alone. Far East Alaska Range Luc Mehl. To be honest, my first reaction is that it's wacked. A man was found submerged under a packraft, trapped in an undercut rock, mid-river. Consider it an insulation layer in camp a very bulky vest and pillow. Sometime I will get down to this country. The article does not discuss prior experience but mentions that they had life jackets and insufficient insulation layers given the water temperature. Saw no one on the porcupine trails and most people on the highline trail. Who knows it could be helpful context for someone reading this to shape their own decisions. Many of the creeks, like the Dinwoody, have wonderful floatable sections. Whoever you choose to go with, extended time in the mountains fishing is a must. The Wind River Range exists in a NW to SE layout and consumes around 100 miles in terms of length, and consuming an area of 2.25 MILLION acres! How can we prevent holes from lining up? Thanks to packrafts, you can combine a world-class Grand Canyon backpacking journey with a jaunt down the river. Never Summer Wilderness, Colorado. We were able to nail them down for a video chat Skip to content Close menu SHOP Kayak Paddles High-Angle Low-Angle American Whitewater Incident ReportGreg Mills, personal communication. See full equipment list. 08/19/21 we all successfully passed the Straight Rapid on the Levaya Mama River (category 3). 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. My old NRS drysuit is heavy. Theres beautiful hiking in the area, for after you get your fill of time on the water. I started looking at maps of the Wind River Range but despite the obvious beauty nothing was really jumping out at me there either. Martin had considerable experience. Authorities recovered a black and yellow inflatable kayak on the 25th, and the paddler one week later. I need survival and misc gear in my PFD firestarting kit, knife, whistle, camera, and a snack. Cold rains and snow are possible, but mostly, bad weather might come in the form of rain. 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. Trip Highlights The Brooks Range, packrafting, mountain scenery and true wilderness.. Trip Options We can sort up near the headwaters for a longer journey or midway down river for a shorter option. Seneca Lake Trail. "The wilderness was spectacular, the leadership perfect. Saw another packraft on the lower lake with a fisherman inside, excellent fishing on the Green R. too. Below Smith Rock are some meaty . Two packrafters were paddling the Class I+ section of the Tama River (western Tokyo) when one paddler snagged on submerged or partly-submerged river debrismetal wire or a loop. Fishing is magical. There are incredible opportunities in town or just a short hike away. Get our free Handbook and Receive our weekly newsletter to see what's new at Backpacking Light! He was wearing a life vest but not a dry suit. Joe Hutto, The Light in High . High peaks flank the valley on three sides. The golden trout are as beautiful and elusive as their name suggests. Then take your fishing gear, license, a basket of sandwiches and beverages and sunglasses, and head to Wind River Countrys pristine fishing spots. Denali provides a wide range of rivers to run in the park, from wide, braided streams to deep, boulder-strewn rivers. He then intended to float to the Alcan Highway in the Yukon. I like my TorsoLite-under-a-rain-jacket the most, until I can find (or make) something better than the Stearns model. Popular Activities Hiking & Backpacking Hunting & Shooting Higher, Longer, Deeper: Wyoming's Largest Range! It heads directly uphill, very steep, with no switchbacks for the first 100yrs then becomes obvious. Experience Required: McCarthy Creek to Kennicott River (CLII+) Medium to Very Hard 6-12 hours $$ One nice hike, two amazing rivers! I was appalled on a trip with outfitters in Alaska where we were told your raingear will be fine. We do some river canoeing and sea kayaking, now I have to add desert paddling to the to-do list. I started looking at a Wind River high route and felt more excited with the prospect of an ambitious thru-hike, but there wasnt time to plan that as I would be leaving the very next day. They also have a one week class called Rapid Immersion they conduct on either the Trinity River or the South Fork of the American River. Peter was visiting BC for an adventure race and stayed after the race to continue exploring the region. Cold water is brutal. On average, there is about a .1 lb difference per size. For someone not at all familiar with this region- when specifically? Intro to Packrafting Embark on a journey to one of Fiordland's hidden gems. Check out Lander-based Wyoming Rivers Cooperative for details (they also offer incredible rafting trips). ", "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. . 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. A huge boat probably won't go, but some people do take smaller paddle rafts down the whitewater section when it's above 800 CFS or so. These packrafts are designed for excitement whether bouncing down a river or cruising over wave trains. Thanks for the video, I was having a hard time wrapping my head around reeds and strainers, but seeing what you were dealing with makes it very clear. Martys was custom extended approx. But, at 0.9lbs it would almost be worth adding two external front pockets. . Get Backpacking Light news, updates, gear info, skills, and commentary delivered into your inbox 1-2x/week. Become a member today! 09-09-2016, 08:05 #7. The other activities are endless: at Boysen, you will relish in the scenic and comfortable camping set ups, volleyball courts and picnic areas. The common themes in these > accidents are cold, surprisingly swift water, and insufficie >. Home Forums Finding Meaning on the Green River, Companion forum thread to: Finding Meaning on the Green River. The paddlers were two weeks into a bikepacking trip. I would guess that the upper lake would also fish well. I noticed a swim in one of his videos where he holds onto the boat by looping an arm through the deck combing, so that might have played a factor in his fatal swim as well. If you like big stands of dense trees, you could do better. A Premium or Unlimited Membership* is required to view the rest of this article. Unrestricted access to all 2,300+ articles, gear reviews, skills, stories, and more. What Ive learned is that you can be reasonably comfortable in a drysuit even in warmer weather wear lightest layers or shorts under it. For our summer vacation in 2015 we decided to spend a week in August backpacking the Wind River Range in Wyoming. Get unlimited access to all our online education (*Unlimited membership required). I considered the same old loops. It was running close to 1800 cfs (http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=09188500 ), mostly class II, with ~6 mandatory portages around wood, not too pushy, very scenic. Youll find picture perfect stops at Worthen Reservoir, as well as Frye, Fiddlers and Louis lakes. The Wrangells traverse is an Alaskan classic and is often the first route that gets recommended when discussing packrafting in the last frontier. $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 cant know for sure, but the leash seems most likely to have caused entanglement. Bubbles(?) At normal water levels, the river is Class II with three gorges of greater difficulty. I bought the Kokatat Swift Entry drysuit with relief zipper. If fast is more your speed, rent a motor boat or a jet ski from the marina and cruise around with an engine doing the work. Furthermore, there are 1,300+ named bodies of water (mainly lakes) spread throughout the Wind River Range. Starting on the open tundra, it flows beneath limestone spires, past glacial lakes, and through the boreal forests of northern Alaska. It is unclear if these were involved in the fatality. The Alpacka Gnarwhal ($1,525-1,750) is both the highest-performing and most forgiving whitewater packraft we've ever paddled. 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/. Moments later he went through another hole and was separated from his boat. In the northern end of the range the shrinking glaciers provide enough water to keep some of them floatable throughout the summer. I often leave the drysuit behind, but it is always a calculated decision. I had a close call with a buddy getting pinned to a log jam (inexperience and poor trip planning), he ended up climbing out of his boat onto the jam and I went downstream after his raft. 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. Mostly Class II. That said, some PFDs will offer significant advantages over those casually . Looks like a lot of fun. Rental equipment is available through Arctic Wild. http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/15/index.html. There is not much information about this fatality yet. Is the Aug 24-25 class still a go? Many rivers, some close to Wiseman, offer a variety of skill-level for packrafters. In Alaska, I urge people to consider the cost of the drysuit as part of the packraft purchase price. Hi Jay, yeah, a $50 PFD and $600 drysuit might have saved three of these lives. The Sondre Stromfjord is an almost linear, 170km fjord which can funnel foehn winds fjord the Ice Sheet. Some rugged country thru there. Luc, thanks for caring, researching, and publishing! With at risk kids we took 6-9 days but you could do it faster. Thanks to the drysuit and thermal layer, my core was 100% normal the whole time. It's a backpackers' playground. A much cheaper, and smarter, alternative is to rent a packraft from Packraft America. 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. Mine uses 5/8" nylon straps with side release buckles attached to 1/2" miniature grommets in the pad's RF welded rim. He was paddling down the fjord during a multi-day trip. Meet your guide(s) for a pre-trip meeting in Fairbanks at 4 pm at Arctic Wild headquarters. I underestimated the river and capsized in a river-wide ledge. . I am most familiar with California Canoe and Kayak (CCK) classes and guides in Northern CA. Enjoyed tour trip report and video! Packrafting Course Level 1: Medium 2 days (3rd optional) $$ Learn and practice the foundational skills you need to have fun on the water. I strongly recommend the Trinity River venue for a true wilderness experience combined with the learning. All recordings are now online! 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. Based on his YouTube channel, hidasurf might only have had three months experience, liked running steep creeks at shallow water (Class II-III), and was often or always paddling alone. During the passage of the rapid, all our three boats were overturned, two of us managed to reach the right bank. Once born, his explorations have taken him all over the west, but especially the canyon country of the Colorado Plateau. Dave is a superb guide. A guidebook describes the area above and below this section as Class V. Neither Class V section is scoutable from the road. May 1st: A Russian man, Yalil Kuvandykov, was seen to overturn in his boat on the Inzer River, Russia. 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. The Continental Divide crests the Wind River Range's entire length. After contact by cell phone they walked out to Mat Glacier view area. Alpacka made an incredibly light suit for several years, but I think the lightest option currently on the market is something like the Kokatak Swift Entry, 2 lbs. 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. Nisutlin River Family Tour Ruby Range Adventure. (sorry could not figure out how to post a narrative does it go here?). You can expect to learn about local fauna, see magical sights and catch some really big fish! Pretty depressing to see fatalities related to no-PFD. One article suggests that he was missing for days, but I suspect this is just a google translate issue. Backpacking in the Wind River Range. I've posted more photos and comments from this trip here: Packrafting in the Winds @ RyanJordan.com. Its believed that his body was held underwater for at least six days, as the area where it was found had been searched many times by dog teams, ground searchers and aircraft, including a military Blackhawk helicopter equipped with infrared radar., P.K., 28, was reported to be three days overdue from an ambitious solo backpacking and float trip. Perfect conditions. 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). Anfibio is also making a really light, less that 2 pound, dry suit. Use the links below to share this content: Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 39 total). Our premium articles include in depth journalism and insights from the Backpacking Light editorial team. 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. Thanks Bigtime for this Trip Report. But that just wasnt going to cut it for me this time. Packrafting Escalante River. If you own one, bring it along, and if you dont, you can buy one of your own at Murdochs in Riverton. . Wow, Richard, awesome data! She was hypothermic when she reached help. He probably fell out of his raft, got seperated from it, and drowned in the icy water. But if Im going to be taking several days off from work, I want the intention behind a trip to make me feel like every moment is worthwhile. Officials at Grand Canyon National Park have recently approved up to 8 miles of Raft Assisted Backcountry Travel (RABT) on a backcountry permit. I dont know if that will come back around, but maybe worth watching their site. Hoping to find something under the 2 pound mark.. Ryan mentioned a 14 oz pfd here, but never said what brand it was. Bjrn Debacker, a 41-year old Belgian Engineer, was presumably separated from his packraft due to wind and waves while crossing ingvallavatn lake. A calm and quiet river, perfectly suited for a trip with the whole family. JavaScript is disabled. All boats were Alpacka Llamas. What sort of construction keeps it dry? I assume that you've looked at "squirt vests" that pull on over the head no zipper weight? There was a rafting death on the Landsborough River recentlya really popular wilderness packrafting trip. Carry all of your kit in packed up form. But you dont need to hike 15 miles to 12,000 feet above sea level if you dont want to. Visit the BCP store for more information. 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. View Profile View Forum Posts . As your data shows, a drysuit is also an important piece of safety gear especially for packrafting because rolling up is unlikely and swims are more likely. I believe he had some gear essentials (stove, etc.) I appreciate the swiss-cheese model of incident causation to visualize this incidents occur when a bunch of small holes line up perfectly wrong. Most skills learned are applicable to packrafting. We parked at Summit Lake, north of Paxson, where satellite imagery revealed an ATV trail that would bring us above the brush. 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. I like your approach of considering the drysuit as part of the initial kit & cost. 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. In fact, a $15 "Walmart special" PFD will likely have the exact same amount of flotation rating as a $200 boutique sea kayaking vest. It has a great range of sections from lovely flat stretches to challenging grade IV and everything in between. Those reed tunnels on the Verde are freaky! I could head south and hop on a river, but the 100-degree heat in the Moab area made this look pretty unappealing. 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. Close calls are abundant within the packrafting community, serious injuries and fatalities have been rare. 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. Virginia resident Peter Jolles, 46, was reported overdue at a Bugaboo Creek takeout, British Columbia, and has not yet been located. To get truly wild with your Wind River Country fly fishing, head into the mountains for a few days or a week for the adventure of a lifetime. Tasmanian Packrafters in the Brooks Range, Alaska; Alatna River and Arrigetch Peaks Wilderness Photographs Packrafting the Landsborough River, New Zealand, 2016 The main challenge on this run is portaging downed trees through very thick brush. You mentioned to me in an email that you have terrific guides - you do indeed. It appears to have been windy on the day of the accident. wanted to get a gage to see if folks had ever checked out the Green River Lakes area this late in the year.