Packraft Essentials: An Expedition Planning & Paddling Course on the Upper Dolores River
"Loved this course so much. Steve and Thad are brilliant teachers and know how to teach to what the group and each individual needs. Their love for Alpacla Packrafts and the river are infectious. I came away from the course with tons of information, way more skills and confidence and understanding in my capabilities and desires as a packrafter."
Wendy B.
Pilates Studio Owner
Course & Dolores River Overview
Turn the blue lines on maps into trails and acquire the packrafting skills you need to embark on bigger and better adventures on your own! And do all this one of Colorado’s most stunning rivers. The scenery on the different sections of this of river between the towns of Rico and Dolores is stunning high alpine. And the quality of the boating matches the scenery, with everything from wide and fast-moving Class II to rowdy Class III excitement.
Three Days of Heaven
Join us for this 3-day, Level 2 Expedition Planning and Paddling Course! We’ll spend one day training in the kayak play park on the Animas River. And then you’ll spend two expedition days on the Dolores River above Rico, camping on public lands. This course is for Level 2 paddlers and includes up to Class III rapids. You’ll very likely see bald eagles, otters, bears and other wildlife, and generally not so many human beings.
To do this course, you should be comfortable in Class II at a minimum. As well, you should be able to self rescue (aka “wet re-entry”) most of the time. These are the sections you will be doing on the Dolores…
Days 1 & 2: Rico to Big Rock (West Fork): 27.6 miles, Class II-III
You must be an experienced boater to take this course. This is NOT a course for beginner boaters.
If you’re not sure you are experienced enough for this course, please visit our blog post, “What Level Packrafter Are You?”
Price: $1095
A 50% deposit is required to secure your space. You’ll need to provide the remaining balance 30 days prior to your course. The remaining balance is due immediately if you are registering inside of the 30 day window.
Additionally, please review our cancellation policy, which you will find on our Terms, Conditions & Cancellation Policy Page.
Transportation Options
We do not provide transportation on our courses. We expect you to meet us at the put-in on the night before or the first morning of the course and participate in the shuttling. Depending on how many people are on the course, we may need to shuttle multiple vehicles.
What's Included
Permits, camping, backcountry sanitation kit, all backcountry meals for the duration of the trip (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks).
Optional: two nights at Scullbinder Ranch (which includes dinner and breakfast), $135 per night. This is a good option if you’re coming out of town and want to experience our remote, stunning basecamp and Doom & Lizzy hospitality 😉
What's Not Included
You need a whitewater packraft and drysuit for this course. You may rent these items 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, adult beverages, lodging or transportation. You must have your own vehicle.
Instructors
Krista Beyer
Krista spends most of her days thinking about water. This lifetime curiosity was cultivated as a child in the wet climate of the Pacific Northwest. At an early age, she would pull on a pair of muck boots and some trusty foul-weather gear to explore the tidepools of the Puget Sound. Krista’s curiosity has since taken her to the study and exploration of the aquifers of northeast Arizona, the river corridors and fisheries of the Colorado River Watershed, the snowpack of the San Juan Mountains, and the glaciers of Alaska. To this day, muck boots are her favorite shoe, and her favorite days involve a dry suit or a durable rain jacket. Krista is certified in Swiftwater Rescue and is a Wilderness First Responder. She’s a Level 3 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructor.
& TBD
What You Will Learn
We designed this trip for adventurers looking to hone their backcountry packrafting skills. Although we do teach many of the standard techniques from our other packrafting courses, we spend less time on self-rescue and aggressive swimming skills and drills. Instead we focus more on what it takes to accomplish a multi-day packraft adventure in the backcountry. Checklist of things we cover in this course:
Paddling & River Running Skills
✔️Equipment (use and care + boat rigging, fit, and release of thigh straps)
✔️Posture, safety, comfort, rocking and balance
✔️Swimming and general water confidence
✔️Self-rescue & buddy assistance
✔️Dealing with currents
✔️Aggressive & defensive swimming position
✔️River hydrology/dynamics, features & hazards
✔️Beginner to Intermediate Paddle strokes: Forward; Back (stopping); Draw; Sculling draw/brace; Sweep (including stern draw); Reverse sweep; Rudder; Bracing
✔️Maneuvers: J-lean / heeling the boat; Spin: boat pivots in place; Abeam: boat moves sideways without headway; Forward: boat goes forward in a reasonably straight line; Stopping: boat stops within a reasonable distance; Turns: boat turns in a broad arc while underway; Veering, carving, and paddling the “inside circle”
✔️Ferries: Facing downstream (to stop in current and move laterally to avoid hazards); Facing upstream to move laterally with control
✔️Using eddies: Eddy turns; Deep into eddy vs. near eddy line Peel outs; Deep into current vs. pivot near eddy line ; C-turns (eddy turn and peel out from the same side of an eddy); S-turns (eddy turn on one side of an eddy, peeling out from the other side)
✔️Surfing
✔️River communication: Paddle, hand, and whistle signals
✔️Trip planning – 6Ps: Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance: Review elements of a float plan (who, what, when, where); Sourcing local beta such as river sections, flows, weather conditions, forecasts, etc. (i.e., online groups, guidebooks, websites, apps, businesses, gauges, etc.); Local rules, regulations, and permitting requirements; Shuttle logistics
✔️Evaluate current weather conditions, forecasts, and other environmental hazards
✔️Field repair-tips & tricks
✔️Strategies in running rivers: Spacing, Avoid tunnel vision, Paddle your own route Scouting, Portaging, Group organization on the river, Cohesiveness (lead, sweep boats, etc.), Safety boats (group members with repair kits, first aid kits, and first aid and CPR training), Communication and signaling
✔️Discuss danger vs. difficulty
Expedition Planning Skills
✔️Expedition/multi-day trip planning & logistics
✔️Expedition pack lists
✔️Where to pack your gear (zippers, weight distribution, securing packs/gear to or inside the boat
✔️How to pack light (i.e. what to leave behind and why + how to share gear)
✔️Expedition food planning and prep
✔️Leave No Trace practices in the backcountry
✔️Navigation in the field, finding camp, etc
✔️Overview of use of online resources: GIS, USGS water gauges, Google Earth, etc
✔️Expedition mentality
Follow us @fourcornersguides on Instagram to see photos from our Advanced Expedition Packrafting course. Visit our Dark Canyon photo album on Facebook.
