A 100-mile long strip of stunning, jagged mountains extending southeast of Yellowstone National Park through Wyoming, "The Winds" are a backpacking and trekking paradise. Nothing better connects you to this place and its waterways. Stephens boat was punctured and his helmet showed signs of impact, but not necessarily from this incident. 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! I can give a personal account of the Lions Head/Rinke incident. Home Forums Campfire Photo Gallery Packrafting - Wind Rivers - 4/15/07. In Alaska, I urge people to consider the cost of the drysuit as part of the packraft purchase price. What follows is a general flow of events. Duration 14 Days . Authors note: this list is by no means exhaustive of all of the incredible activities, outfitters and shops in Wind River Country. He was wearing a life vest but not a dry suit. Very nice. 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. Pyotr Kirienko was unable to swim to shore. Fishing is magical. There is a challenging rapid 500m upriver, and it seems likely that he tipped there and swam until he was pinned on the undercut rock. The first two gorges feature Class III/IV drops and frequent wood hazards. I have a 9 oz SOS inflatable that I trimmed, but they are wholly uncomfortable while paddling (restrict mobility) and too hard to inflate on the fly if you bite it. Ran this section another time then drove home. Astral and Norge are the two primary manufacturers of this PFD type. The MTI Livery PFD seems to be the best standard option for rough water packrafting at .9 lbs. The third boater noted Marty floating face up, pursued, caught and swam Marty to shore on river right, where CPR was unsuccessful. From the Elkhart trailhead parking lot, take the Pole Creek Trail directly adjacent to . Recommend bringing a fishing rod for the slow meandering sections. It's fine with me for folks to take whatever risks that they wish, as long as they are informed. Thanks for posting. A Membership is required to post in the forums. So rather than get on a high-horse about it, could someone just describe the experience of swimming rapids in this rig? Their first packraft was the Itiwit Packraft Adventure 500, which we have already reviewed. 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. It's late and I'm tired (!) This, combined with wearing it under a shell, keeps it in place quite well. Mostly Class II. ADN News articleCity of Valdez press release. The other mistake was running solo. Below Smith Rock are some meaty . April 18-23, 2021, Wind River Range (beginning of Sept 2021), Upper Toklat River (Denali NP) - mid-August 2018, Republic Pass Trail North Absaroka into Yellowstone Cache Creek and Lamar River, trip report: Wind River Range Ross Lakes, Bear Basin, Grasshopper Glacier, & Dinwoody Creek loop, Aug-Sep 2020, Yellowstone advice: Lamar River - Pelican Valley - Mirror Plateau loop this summer. It heads directly uphill, very steep, with no switchbacks for the first 100yrs then becomes obvious. We have been up to Green River Lakes a couple of times, most recently fall 2015, and I packrafted out to the lakes on the upper stretch of the green in Sept. 2014. Looks like a lot of fun. You're currently viewing a free preview of a member exclusive premium article. https://www.gifu-np.co.jp/news/20200120/20200120-208121.html (Japanese)Shimon Saito, personal communication. 51 cumecs on Saturday, 40 on Sunday. Did you leave them there overnight? Satellite imagery shows large rapids just out of sight from his probable put in. Packrafting Course Level 1: Medium 2 days (3rd optional) $$ Learn and practice the foundational skills you need to have fun on the water. Hi Jay, yeah, a $50 PFD and $600 drysuit might have saved three of these lives. 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 :~). In the summer of 2015 a German paddler disappeared in the Sndre Strmfjord near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Make sure you have your biggest net ready to go. Duration 1-4 . He has developed a rudimentary understanding of its geology, and an awareness of the subtle changes in flora and fauna due to soil, elevation, aspect, and precipitation and how these elemental things interact with both ancient and modern humans. If AW isnt a good fit, maybe APA would host something? I believe Forrest quotes the minimum at about 300. The combination of a free-flowing, undammed waterway, whitewater that is fun and challenging but (with one exception) in the easy Class III range, and a huge trail network adjacent to and along the river should be like catnip for packrafters, but there's a surprising paucity of information. An Englishman was separated from his packraft while attempting a two kilometer lake crossing in Argentina. I started looking at maps of the Wind River Range but despite the obvious beauty nothing was really jumping out at me there either. We camped next to the car and woke to find snow blowing horizontally. Rates start at $30 per day for a five- or six-day rental. What is the best way to do that? Hardshell kayakers consider a PFD one of the five essentials you dont put on the water without one. Video 3: River Hazards Run time: 1 minute 37 seconds Richard, I *normally* use an SOS inflatable BUT I forgot it in the car, so I wasn't wearing a PFD. Near the origin the water was somewhat milky with glaciel sediment as you would expect. P.K. Get unlimited access to all our online education (*Unlimited membership required). 3 miles of this was really fun class II+ starting just before Moose Creek Rd junction. Sarah Kilbourne He had a perimeter line in addition to bow and stern painters. 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. Gratuity for guide(s). Thats a really heavy list. The Valdez search and rescue team responded to an inReach alert regarding a missing packrafter. Martin had considerable experience. Sunny and no wind! When the wind comes from the north, the temperature can drop to below freezing. Again with the :~). Visit www.WindRiver.org for license information, outfitters and guides. Thanks to the drysuit and thermal layer, my core was 100% normal the whole time. With at risk kids we took 6-9 days but you could do it faster. 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. 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. He had a paddle leash attached to his spray skirt pull loop. [Peter Kysar], 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, was recovered from the headwaters of the White River near the toe of Russell Glacier on Saturday, July 3rd. It may not display this or other websites correctly. . Definitely a near miss that couldve been avoided by better route planning and scouting blind corners. A two car shuttle for a party of 4-5 can involve 938 km for one vehicle. Visit the BCP store for more information. Nizina River (CL II+) Medium to Hard 1-3 days $$$ A classic Alaskan river . 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. The Forager, Gnarwhal and Wolverine are from . I could head south and hop on a river, but the 100-degree heat in the Moab area made this look pretty unappealing. There is nothing absolutely nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Water Rat, The Wind in the Willows. Wow, I just found this. Richard, Kapok? At normal water levels, the river is Class II with three gorges of greater difficulty. I find the notion of the torso light torso burrito "interesting.". Hi all, this is a very old thread but thought Id see if anyone out there has any current info. Interesting to see the bridge is still there bout burned in fires a few times Contemplated a thru hike along the Verde years ago, but never did. Thanks for your post. 6. Click here for more info. Bubbles(?) 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. Packrafting Escalante River. Even here in the Southeast, the rule is dress for the swim. Dave is a superb guide. Stephen Andrew Bowler, 30, died in a packrafting incident on the Caples River, New Zealand. Ben Kilbourne hikes and packrafts along the Green River in Wyoming. Our premium articles include in depth journalism and insights from the Backpacking Light editorial team. If you get hot, jump in the river for a cool down. Martin Rinke (63), an experienced boater, fell out of his boat in the Lions Head section of Matanuska River. 08/19/21 we all successfully passed the Straight Rapid on the Levaya Mama River (category 3). The Sndre Strmfjord is an almost linear, 170 km fjord which can funnel strong winds from the ice sheet. Do your part to help! Temperatures vary dramatically in the Arctic. My only gripe with the MTI Livery is lack of pockets. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. There was a rafting death on the Landsborough River recentlya really popular wilderness packrafting trip. All that is to say, thank you for compiling this, it helps to remind us of the consequences of one poor decision. 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. Given that his body was recovered with his boat, I assume he was trapped with it. 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. Check out Lander-based Wyoming Rivers Cooperative for details (they also offer incredible rafting trips). 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. Join. The next day, his empty raft and backpack were found on the southern shore, about 12km away. This is the first packraft fatality on record, and predates the modern era of packrafts designed for downriver travel, circa 2000. Packrafts are known as very forgiving crafts. Others run Class III and even IV in inflatable PFDs (Too spooky for me), but many "backpackers in a boat" paddle Class I-II without anything more than a foam pad under the jacket.. Richard, thanks for the info! He also reportedly lost his prescription glasses in a river crossing.. He had a full safety kit (PFD, helmet, drysuit), frequently scouted rapids, and frequently swam. afternoon naps were a requirement on Saturday and Sunday; these dogs were barkin! It is likely that a dry suit would have made a huge difference. No intent to chide. It has these additional benefits: it can be worn under a properly sized windshirt or rainwear for insulation, in lieu of a high loft vest; the two side straps and the accordion style foam on the sides allow a comfortable athletic fit for paddling; and there is an elastic safety loop that locks the zipper in place. This feature requires an active Backpacking Light Membership. August 17, 2015 Backpacking Trips, Featured Trip Reports, Trip Reports. Wind River Visitors Council Courses Instruction. 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. Ran it in August, 2014 at about 850 cfs in beautiful weather. You're currently viewing a free preview of a member exclusive premium article. Wrangell / St. Elias NPS Incident reportsWashington Post article. Do you find yourself clamping your arms to your sides to hold it in place, or does wearing it under a shell suffice? Ken Knight and I had a little exchange going in another thread in which I pulled in my horns a bitbut having spent 10 years guiding wilderness canoe trips and many more as an avid paddler, it's hard for me to not react strongly. Falcon Publishing. I have found that if I invert mine and put a thin insulating pad on it, it makes a very cushy mattress. Has anyone been out with a guide they reccommend? The Wind's crystal-clear waters are perfect and you can hike the alpine ridges. With ten easily accessible trailheads, it's a cinch to get to the slopes of the Wind River Mountain Range. Mosquito season should be overbut bring a small bottle of DEET repellent just in case. Far East Alaska Range Luc Mehl. This is the first verified packraft fatality due to entanglement. 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