DOOM Tour: Expedition Packrafting to Dark Canyon & the Colorado River, with Bikerafting Exit
Canyon, packraft, bikeraft mashup
Course & Adventure Overview
This 5-day Expedition Packrafting course is not for the faint of heart! You must be a solid cyclist with experience carrying weight on your bicycle, and you must have backpacking experience. You don’t need packrafting experience.
You’ll hike Utah’s stunning canyon lands, specifically through Dark Canyon, one of the most scenic (and swimmable) canyons in that state. Then you’ll paddle out the Colorado River to the Cataract Canyon take out, where you’ll pick up bikes for the bikerafting portion of the trip. There are two options for exiting, which the group will decide on during a expedition planning video chat the month before the course starts.
A Bit More About The Trip
We will be accessing a remote part of the Colorado River through the lower portion of Cataract Canyon. Starting at the Sundance trail we hike a relatively easy trail along the canyon rim, then descend the rough and steep Sundance trail (a 1200 vertical foot drop) into Dark Canyon.
Known for clear flowing water, ancient ruins and remote hiking, Dark Canyon forms at the Western Flank of the Blue Mountains and flows through the Bears Ears National Monument for close to 40 miles before merging with the Colorado River in the Glen Canyon National Rec Area. Our hike will take us through the lower section toward the Colorado River with one camp along the way. Once we exit Dark Canyon it’s a 20+-mile paddle out on the Colorado and Lake Powell with two night camping at idyllic spots, under dark skies, on the river.
Please email us if you are interested in scheduling a private tour.
Price: $1700
A 50% deposit is required to secure your space. Full payment is due 90 days prior to your course. If you are registering inside of the 90 day window, the remaining balance is due immediately.
Please review our cancellation policy, which you will find on our Terms, Conditions & Cancellation Policy Page.
What's Included
An open Alpacka Classic packraft, PFD, paddle, helmet.
what's not included
Food, adult beverages, transportation, drysuits, river knives, whistles or throw bags.
You will likely need a drysuit for this course, though if you run warm you may get away with a wetsuit. You may rent one locally at 4Corners Riversports or online at Backcountrypackrafts.com. We will provide you with the 10% discount code once you register for the course.
We do not provide food, lodging or transportation. You must have your own vehicle.
Instructors
Steve Fassbinder
Steve, aka “Doom,” is one of the country’s first Level 4 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructors. And he is a certified International Rescue 3 Whitewater Rescue Technician Professional (WRT-PRO) and IRF Whitewater Packraft Guide. Steve is also certified in Advanced Swiftwater Safety and Wilderness First Responder. An early adopter of packrafting, he has guided or instructed bike-packrafting to kids and adults for over a decade. And he has done remote packrafting expeditions around the world for over a dozen years.
Annie Bussell
After moving to the southwest in 2013, Annie found a deep passion for backpacking into remote wildernesses and floating wild rivers. As a raft guide since 2014 and a Level 4 ACA-certified packraft instructor since 2025, she has long held a love for navigating and immersing herself into river corridors. After starting work at Alpacka Raft in 2021, she discovered packrafts. These tiny inflatable boats have allowed her to merge her love of backpacking and paddling and find new ways to access the remote wildernesses she loves. When not paddling or hiking, Annie makes art, including stunning murals you can find on the outside of the Alpacka Raft factory and at the La Plata County Airport.
