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FeaturesPodcast: Little Alpacka Packraft can Play with the Big Kids
Green River through Desolation Canyon: 84 miles, 67 class II/II rapids, 7 days in a packraft.
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by Carol Crooker | 2008-02-26 02:00:00-07
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| Elaine Mayer on the Green River in Utah riding the waves in her Alpacka Yukon Yak. Photos by Bunny Sterin | |
Alpacka packrafts are only 6 feet long and weigh around 5 pounds, yet these tiny craft can run rivers along side more traditional craft. Elaine Mayer, River Management Society Alaska chapter president, talks about her September 2006 trip down the Green River through Desolation and Gray Canyons in Utah. Eighty-four miles and 67 class II/III rapids in seven days. Hers was the only packraft along with a menagerie of 14 foot rafts, kayaks (inflatable and hard sided) and a whitewater canoe. She not only kept up in her Alpacka Yukon Yak, she often led the way. The one rapid she decided to skip, she found "boring" as she rode it in a 14 foot raft after running rapids (see photos) in the packraft.
Citation
"Podcast: Little Alpacka Packraft can Play with the Big Kids," by Carol Crooker. BackpackingLight.com (ISSN 1537-0364). http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/podcast_022708_packraft_green_river.html, 2008-02-26 02:00:00-07.
U.S. Library of Congress Serial Registrations: BackpackingLight.com (electronic, ISSN 1537-0364) & Backpacking Light Magazine (print, ISSN 1550-4417)
BACKPACKING LIGHT® is a registered trademark.
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Forum Index » Editor's Roundtable » Podcast: Little Alpacka Packraft can Play with the Big Kids
( kenknight - BPL STAFF - M)
Locale:
SE Michigan
Companion forum thread to:
Podcast: Little Alpacka Packraft can Play with the Big Kids
( don - BPL STAFF - M)
Locale:
Koyukuk River, Alaska
Fun podcast, Carol. This looks like such a great way to travel. I gotta stop walking so much and start doing some paddling.
Thanks for more inspiration.
Don
( cmcrooker - BPL STAFF - M)
Locale:
Desert Southwest, USA
I just came back from a meeting with the Desert Paddlers group here in Phoenix. A couple of people presented a trip report on their trip through Desolation and Gray Canyons last May. Fantastic! Who's up for a trip next year?
( rhausam - M)
Locale:
Salt Lake City, Utah area
Carol,
Count me in. I organized a trip through Desolation and Gray Canyons several years ago (1999, actually), and it was a great experience. I've been wanting to do it again ever since, but haven't yet gotten that arranged. I did it primarily in a canoe that time (there were 2 canoes and 1 raft in the group), and that worked out quite well. That was before I heard of packrafting, though, and now that I own one I have been thinking about doing Desolation/Gray again in the packraft--and obviously I'm not the only one. I'm really looking forward to the chance to do that. So, I'm ready to help plan and join in any time.
Rob
( cmcrooker - BPL STAFF - M)
Locale:
Desert Southwest, USA
Cool! Ken Knight is also interested. What time of year did you go, Robert? I'm signed up for an early May trip this year with my local kayak group. Their trip last May was ideal, but another group who went down two weeks later had tons of rain.
Edited by cmcrooker on 02/29/2008 22:55:00 MST.
( rhausam - M)
Locale:
Salt Lake City, Utah area
Our trip was in late August. That was a pretty good time for it, as the weather was fine (mostly warm to somewhat hot, and sunny), and the flow was low enough to be reasonable for canoes. I don't think I would want to take a canoe down that stretch of river in the late spring, with the typical flows at that time. This year, with the above normal snowpack in Utah (although apparently not quite so much in southern Wyoming), I think the flows are going to be pretty large in May. That might be a lot of fun in a packraft, though, and if Cataract Canyon is doable, then certainly this should be.
Rob
( craigl28 - M)
Locale:
SoCal
Elaine is showing some "bracing" with the paddle. She is obviously an experienced kayaker. Several trips to a calm lake or harbor would be recommended for practicing forward, backward strokes and bracing before attempting whitewater.
Notice how the pack is blocking her view in one pic with the bow raised, instead of panic the reaction must be to brace and she does to the right side.
She doesn't lean backward at all, a little forward would be optimal. However, with the pack in the front you have to already tested the limit of lean/paddle stroke before attempting the rapid she did and not spill.
Edited by craigl28 on 03/10/2008 19:38:53 MDT.
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