Courses Instruction. I did not get hot or sweaty until I got off the water. 7. I misspoke relative to the Astral Kapok (natural material) PFDs. Outdoor Play had a great price for a short period. I strongly recommend the Trinity River venue for a true wilderness experience combined with the learning. They offer waded fishing trips and free evening casting lessons. It appears to have been windy on the fjord on the day he disappeared. 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. The Winner Creek to 20 Mile River loop is a great first packrafting trip. 5. . I packarafted a small area of the wind river range last July (2016) at the green river lakes trail head/ campground. Packrafting is a unique sportyou carry your inflatable boat on your back to access the water. http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/15/index.html. Nova Alaska Guides extricated Marty and boater #3. The paddler was in their 70s, and it is suspected that their paddle leash snagged the debris. Nizina River (CL II+) Medium to Hard 1-3 days $$$ A classic Alaskan river . What sort of construction keeps it dry? The Windriver Range offers some of the lower 48's wildest country. Duration 14 Days Level . 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! 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). Climbed Squaretop the next day via the 3rd/4th class scramble from Granite Lake. At normal water levels, the river is Class II with three gorges of greater difficulty. Many of the creeks, like the Dinwoody, have wonderful floatable sections. There are over 1, 300 named lakes in the Wind River Range, and the headwaters of the Green River can be found here. Colin had considerable experience, including Class IV paddling and actively training to become an ANG Pararescue Jumper (PJ). Wyoming's Wind River Range offers one of the most scenic and rewarding backpacking trips in the Lower 48. wanted to get a gage to see if folks had ever checked out the Green River Lakes area this late in the year. But it could have easily been a packrafter (everything leading to the fatality eg. Mosquito season should be overbut bring a small bottle of DEET repellent just in case. New TRAIL DAYS ONLINE! This photo might be from this section of the river. Has anyone been out with a guide they reccommend? The major difference is the inability of the packrafts to edge as aggressively. Packrafting is very simple. The Wind River Range runs along the Continental Divide and boasts some high elevations. 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. Can you swim strongly and with confidence to affect a self-rescue? First-world problems, I know. 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! Following deep valleys, across 3 major lakes and wild west-coastlines, the soaring . I am not aware of any publication that teaches the basics of packrafting but, there are many that teach river kayaking. You can find an even bigger list here. Most skills learned are applicable to packrafting. The trip can also be combined with the Arrigetch Peaks Backpacking Trip.. Departs from Fairbanks, AK. It appears to have been windy on the day of the accident. 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? Richard, I *normally* use an SOS inflatable BUT I forgot it in the car, so I wasn't wearing a PFD. 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. You mention "a few weeks back", and "fall colors". Come to Wind River Country, and enjoy the magic of our mountain water. With ten easily accessible trailheads, it's a cinch to get to the slopes of the Wind River Mountain Range. This could be you on a fishing expedition. Packrafting Course Level 1: Medium 2 days (3rd optional) $$ Learn and practice the foundational skills you need to have fun on the 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. Jaymes overturned his boat and was quickly separated from his partner. From the Elkhart Park trailhead, the trail passes several alpine lakes before you reach its crown jewel: Titcomb Basin, surrounded by the amazing Cirque of the Towers. 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. 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. This feature requires an active Backpacking Light Membership. 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. Use the links below to share this content: Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total). Roman The lightest non-inflatable PFDs use kapok instead of CC foam. However, as the water makes its way out of the mountains it negotiates deep granite gorges. We are positioned for easy access to many Wyoming Rivers and currently offer raft and packraft trips on the Popo Agie River, Wind River, Sweetwater River, and Green River. It has a scenic and brushless hike in, fun Class II to III whitewater, and sweeping views of the Alaska Range and Talkeetnas. The second boater attempting to land river left flipped and lost his boat. 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. Thanks to packrafts, you can combine a world-class Grand Canyon backpacking journey with a jaunt down the river. The highest point on this loop is Texas Pass at 11,500 feet above sea level. Never Summer Wilderness, Colorado. But that just wasnt going to cut it for me this time. You can now take guided packrafting trips in Wind River Country. 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 . Temperatures vary dramatically in the Arctic. Thanks for posting. The Classic: Titcomb Basin Trailhead Start: Elkhart Park Mileage: 29-30 miles RT Trip Type: Out-and-back It was an easy decision to stay in the sleeping bag until late morning, and we ate breakfast in the car to . I am most familiar with California Canoe and Kayak (CCK) classes and guides in Northern CA. Seneca Lake is right at the beginning of some of the most spectacular high alpine climbing and backpacking routes. Moments later he went through another hole and was separated from his boat. 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. 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. P.O. Any late season info you could provide would be helpful! The consistent theme in these fatalities is getting separated from boats and partners, typically in cold and/or surprisingly swift (high) water. Three packrafters capsized in the Delicsky rapids ( ) section of Levaya Mama River (Baikal region of Russia). You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Elkhart/Titcomb/Knapsack/Shannons Pass loop back to Elkhart, or continue to Green River Lakes Trailhead? Reminds me of Sarahs IG post today fantastic example of role modelling open sharing! 1 Thunder River Tr.-->Esplanade-->Tapeats-->Deer. ", Wrangell St Elias and Glacier Bay National Parks. This is the third open water packraft fatality on record, highlighting the danger of open water crossings. Google Earth, GaiaGPS, topo maps and more. Titcomb Basin. I need survival and misc gear in my PFD firestarting kit, knife, whistle, camera, and a snack. There is not much information about this fatality yet.