Unrestricted access to all 2,300+ articles, gear reviews, skills, stories, and more. Weather permitting, we catch our plane back to civilization. We were able to nail them down for a video chat Skip to content Close menu SHOP Kayak Paddles High-Angle Low-Angle Some of them are only runnable in the early summer when the melting snows keep them flooded. Courses Instruction. The Wind River Range is one of America's great wilderness areas! He probably fell out of his raft, got seperated from it, and drowned in the icy water. Packrafting is very simple. Thats when I realized that we had failed to discuss recovery plans. Saw no one on the porcupine trails and most people on the highline trail. No other details are available at this point. No intent to chide. First, the range is extremely remote. Perfect conditions. Gratuity for guide(s). The Wind's crystal-clear waters are perfect and you can hike the alpine ridges. An Englishman was separated from his packraft while attempting a two kilometer lake crossing in Argentina. I need survival and misc gear in my PFD firestarting kit, knife, whistle, camera, and a snack. 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. He had a full safety kit (PFD, helmet, drysuit), frequently scouted rapids, and frequently swam. It appears to have been windy on the day of the accident. You mentioned to me in an email that you have terrific guides - you do indeed. Kathryn Montana Perkinson is a writer living in Lander, Wyoming. Wrangell St. Elias National Park is the largest National Park in the country and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I went to a couple of paddling shops and weighed all of the L/XL PFDs they had on display. Cosmic Ashtray via Wolverine/Little Death Hollow & Escalante River? 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. Looks like a lot of fun. Astral and Norge are the two primary manufacturers of this PFD type. Colin had considerable experience, including Class IV paddling and actively training to become an ANG Pararescue Jumper (PJ). John & Roman et al that 14 oz vest is a Stearns Class III, you can buy them at Wal-Mart. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. ADN News articleCity of Valdez press release. He allowed Adrian and me to hike at our own pace and he encouraged all of us to explore the area surrounding our campsites. Get unlimited access to all our online education (*Unlimited membership required). Richard, Thanks for sharing! He was seen to make 3 attempts to reenter his boat then appeared to rest. I am not sure this post will gain the attention of those needed to input, but can anyone suggest a starting point for packrafting? Many of the creeks, like the Dinwoody . Get Backpacking Light news, updates, gear info, skills, and commentary delivered into your inbox 1-2x/week. Richard, we pulled into camp late and didn't want to inflate our rafts until morning, but yes, they are actually pretty comfy. The Wind is probably the most popular river . Ben Kilbourne hikes and packrafts along the Green River in Wyoming. Ever had the shell balloon while swimming if so what happened? Moments later he went through another hole and was separated from his boat. American Whitewater Incident ReportGreg Mills, personal communication. Rescuers responded to a PLB (personal location beacon) SOS call. Thanks Bigtime for this Trip Report. You can also see a progression of the sport from Alaska-centric, to global, from 2009 to today. This topic is empty. Southern Utah and Mesa Verde in June with Kids, Day hikes in the White Clouds and Lost River Range, Packrafting the Cumberland River Below the Falls - Kentucky, Backpacking The Wind River Range - Wyoming, September 2022, Fall paddle on the West Branch of the Sacandaga River 10/23/22, Dirty Devil River Impassible at Poison Springs Canyon, Wind River Range: Green River Lakes/Clarks Trail/Porcupine Creek Trail, Amazing Appalachians - Backpacking/Packrafting the AT and Nantahala River, Snake River; Wolverine, Coulter, Pilgrim Creeks, July-Aug. 2022. CCK has a three weekend series which will safely teach you the basics on the South Fork of the American River's class 2 sections. I also measured the weight for a number of PFD sizes above and below L/XL. It is located in the beautiful Peel Watershed, a collection of 6 rivers that flow north into the Peel River and later into the Mackenzie River that flows into the Beaufort Sea. Marty lived above the Matanuska River near the Lions Head run. 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. This could be you on a fishing expedition. Hi Jay, yeah, a $50 PFD and $600 drysuit might have saved three of these lives. In fact, a $15 "Walmart special" PFD will likely have the exact same amount of flotation rating as a $200 boutique sea kayaking vest. Join. He was paddling down the fjord during a multi-day trip. "The wilderness was spectacular, the leadership perfect. You're currently viewing a free preview of a member exclusive premium article. But, at 0.9lbs it would almost be worth adding two external front pockets. Relevant resources: American Whitewater maintains an incident database, American Packrafting Association is close to publishing a safety curriculum for packrafters. When you stand on the edge of a cool mountain river or lake and cast, youre given a chance to slow down and listen to the crickets and birds chirping, watch the sunlight stream through a lodgepole pine and smell the fresh mountain air. Unrestricted access to all forums, plus the ability to post and start new threads. 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 . Very nice. Enjoyed tour trip report and video! 3 miles of this was really fun class II+ starting just before Moose Creek Rd junction. Most skills learned are applicable to packrafting. 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. Paddling the Big Salmon River Ruby Range Adventure. If you like big stands of dense trees, you could do better. Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Youtube videos of his boat dont show any perimeter lines, but do show a red leash connecting his paddle to the spray skirt grab loop. The hike up to Berry Pass is seriously underrated, and the views of the 20 Mile watershed are absolutely . It is unclear if these were involved in the fatality.