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.

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.

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 breakfast, lunch & dinner), $150. This is a good option if you’re coming out of town and want to experience our remote, stunning basecamp and Doom & Lizzy hospitality 😉

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.

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.

These multi-day Pre-Intermediate (Level 2+) expedition planning and paddling courses are for experienced paddlers who want to expand the skills they learned in our Level 1 &/or 2Expedition courses and expand their paddling skills in order to run Class II-III rapids in a backcountry environment.

The goal with these courses is to dive deeper into the Level 2 Packraft Foundations – Basic Paddling & Expedition Skills list, and to practice these skills in a backcountry setting. On the longer courses, you’ll also spend time practicing swiftwater rescue skills you learned in previous courses. Please note that depending on how long these courses are, you will learn and/or practice more or fewer of these skills. I.e. don’t expect to learn or practice all of the skills on these lists if you are taking a shorter 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, Draw, Sculling draw/brace, Sweep (including stern draw), Reverse sweep, Rudder, Bracing
• Maneuvers: Spin: boat pivots in place; Draw Stroke to move the boat sideways without headway; Forward: boat goes forward in a reasonably straight line; Turns: boat turns in a broad arc while underway 
• Ferries: Facing downstream (to stop in current and move laterally to avoid hazards) and 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 (where do the keys go?)
• 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, Scoutingl 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