Nova Alaska Guides extricated Marty and boater #3. With 100 miles of incredible hikes to explore (popular during July and August), you'll have plenty of options. I stopped counting at about a dozen, and it wouldnt have been so bad if I had not had a full pack on the boat! 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. 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. The analogy that comes to mind is going back to using cloths line to "protect" climbing routes becaues of it's handling characteristics while in your pack. A club packraft trip down the grade 1 and 2 sections of the Rangitikei River. The trip can also be combined with the Arrigetch Peaks Backpacking Trip.. Departs from Fairbanks, AK. - Yellowstone National Park - September 13, 2021, Grand Canyon Loop: Thunder River -> Tapeats -> Kanab -> Sowats. It appears to have been windy on the fjord on the day he disappeared. packrafting wind river range Wyoming By Ben Kilbourne Ben Kilbourne has been backpacking since his days in the womb. Never Summer Wilderness, Colorado. Started on a Friday at noon, finished on a Monday at noon, 2 hr. Thanks for your post. I need survival and misc gear in my PFD firestarting kit, knife, whistle, camera, and a snack. And my paddling smocks (a Patagonia Specter pullover in mild weather and an NRS Endurance Splash Top in cooler weather) have kangaroo pockets I wear these when using the SOS or TorsoLite as my PFD. 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! . That said, some PFDs will offer significant advantages over those casually . Joe Hutto, The Light in High . Is the Aug 24-25 class still a go? Jeffrey DeRonde was trapped in river debris (I assume wood) and fully submerged. A real PFD is a whole lot better. We think the Wind River is the finest rivertrip on the south side of the Brooks Range. No wildlife except for one Moose on the bank. http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/15/index.html. The other activities are endless: at Boysen, you will relish in the scenic and comfortable camping set ups, volleyball courts and picnic areas. Become a BCP Supporting Member and kiss them all goodbye. On average, there is about a .1 lb difference per size. ", "I am just finishing my tenth trip with you guys. The main challenge on this run is portaging downed trees through very thick brush. Denali provides a wide range of rivers to run in the park, from wide, braided streams to deep, boulder-strewn rivers. Some of them are only runnable in the early summer when the melting snows keep them flooded. 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. Too many people are afraid to share their near miss stories for fear of judgement. 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. Earthwalk Press: Hiking Map and Guide: Northern Wind River Range, WY. It's a backpackers' playground. Stephens boat was punctured and his helmet showed signs of impact, but not necessarily from this incident. I have some friends with some gnarly stories. 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. Titcomb Basin. I believe Forrest quotes the minimum at about 300. If the paddle leash is strong enough to hold a pinned boat or paddler in mild current, it is a potential killer. About the Iceland accident: victim was Bjorn Debacker, a 41-year old Belgian Engineer. Choosing one trip out of the nearly endless options within a five-hour drive from Salt Lake City has been feeling like a daunting task lately. 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). Hardshell kayakers consider a PFD one of the five essentials you dont put on the water without one. Post new content to the community including gear swaps, reviews, trip reports and more! His partners found him after thirty minutes and performed CPR, but recovery was not possible. Green River Seedskedee in April: Float or Class I Weber River through Coalville Class I or the Long Bear from Hilliard to Evanston in May: Class I to III Pacific Creek near Jackson May: Class II North Platte near Casper, WY in May: Float Upper Green River from Green River Lakes to Whiskey Bend (near Cora, WY) in June: Class II P.O. Our premium articles include in depth journalism and insights from the Backpacking Light editorial team. Damn brother. It was an easy decision to stay in the sleeping bag until late morning, and we ate breakfast in the car to . Richard, Thanks for sharing! I would guess that the upper lake would also fish well. 12 day backpacking and packrafting in Gates of the Arctic, Alaska. Cosmic Ashtray via Wolverine/Little Death Hollow & Escalante River? Great detail that it works with the shorter torsolight and that it's actually better to avoid a full body wrapyou're going for a taco rather than burrito :~). Take your own kayak, canoe or raft, and enjoy the serenity of places like Boysen Reservoir and State Park near Shoshoni. All recordings are now online! Peter was visiting BC for an adventure race and stayed after the race to continue exploring the region. Thats when I realized that we had failed to discuss recovery plans. Very speculative, but a nearby airport reported SE wind gusts of 44 km/h (27 mph) on the 25th. You can find an even bigger list here. Great shot, Ryan! Duration 14 Days Level . Make sure you have your biggest net ready to go. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. 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". Little headwind on the lakes, so the flat-water paddling wasnt that slow. 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. The nature of the river at their put in was cold, silty, with large hydraulics, but technically Class II. If you get hot, jump in the river for a cool down. We spend the next week enjoying this little river, as well as exploring our surroundings on layover days. He probably fell out of his raft, got seperated from it, and drowned in the icy water. 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. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska Geographic; Being Caribou, Karsten Heuer; Arctic Dreams,Barry Lopez; Packrafting!, Roman Dial. These packrafts are designed for excitement whether bouncing down a river or cruising over wave trains. It is size large and weighs 2lb-4oz or 1024g on my scale. During the passage of the rapid, all our three boats were overturned, two of us managed to reach the right bank. I have found that if I invert mine and put a thin insulating pad on it, it makes a very cushy mattress. Youll find picture perfect stops at Worthen Reservoir, as well as Frye, Fiddlers and Louis lakes. 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. A calm and quiet river, perfectly suited for a trip with the whole family.