Packraft Foundations – Basic Paddling & Expedition Skills, in Dark Canyon & on the Colorado River
Explore remote Dark Canyon by foot, then exit via the Colorado River With a Packraft to more remote spots in the glen canyon national recreation area
Course & Adventure Overview
This 5-day Expedition Packrafting course includes one day of skills training on the Animas or Colorado Rivers, plus four days of remote backcountry exploring in the canyon lands of Utah. Beginner packrafters will access 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 30-mile paddle out on the Colorado with two nights camping on the river.
This is an Expedition Packrafting course, so we’ll have at last one Zoom meetings prior to the course, plus the night before the course to discuss and plan the logistics for this trip.
If you’re not sure you are experienced enough for this course, please visit our blog post, “What Level Packrafter Are You?“
Price: $1785
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 expect most people to either fly and rent a car or drive to the put in/start point to meet us on the first day of this trip. However, up to two people can meet us in Mancos, and we can carpool together to Utah if that is most convenient.
What's Included
This course includes an open packraft, PFD, paddle, helmet, permits, camping, backcountry sanitation kit, all meals for the duration of the trip, starting with lunch on day 1 and ending with lunch on day 5, plus one night at Scullbinder Ranch in a shared glamping tent. If you want to stay additional nights at Scullbinder Ranch (the night before or after), let us know.
What's Not Included
Adult beverages, transportation, drysuits, river knives, whistles or throw bags.
You will need a drysuit for the duration of the course. You may rent them locally at 4Corners Riversports (they have only 4) or at Backcountrypackrafts.com (we will provide you with the 15% discount code once you register for the course).
Though we do not provide transportation, we will work together on the shuttle logistics.
Instructors
Steve Fassbinder: Steve, aka “Doom,” is one of the country’s first Level 4 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructors. And he will be a certified International Rescue 3 Whitewater Rescue Technician Professional (WRT-PRO) and IRF Whitewater Packraft Guide late April. 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.
Thad Ferrell: Thad is a Level 4 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructor. He additionally has advanced Swiftwater Safety training and he is a certified Wilderness First Responder. An early adopter of packrafting and life-long cyclist and bikepacker, Thad has accomplished some ground-breaking, multi-week climb-bike-packraft adventures in the desert Southwest. He is also an expert fly fishing guide.
What You Will Learn
We designed this 5-day courses for adventurers looking to expand their backcountry skills by adding a boat to their repertoire. We teach the standard techniques from our Packraft Foundations–Paddling Skills courses, but 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. This course is meant to introduce you to these skills, not to get you to master them. You’ll do more drills and hone these skills in our Level 2-4 courses.
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
- ✔Basic paddle strokes (forward, back, draw, sculling)
- ✔Using eddies
- ✔River communication: Paddle, hand, and whistle signals
- ✔Spacing on the river
- ✔The “River Safety Talk”
- ✔Field repair-tips & tricks
Expedition Skills
- ✔Multi-day trip planning & logistics
- ✔Multi-day 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, using available resources (river guidebooks and/or researching trip reports from the same stretches of rivers)
✔Basic overview of online resources: GIS, USGS water gauges, Google Earth, etc
Follow us @fourcornersguides on Instagram to see photos from our Advanced Expedition Packrafting course. Visit our Dark Canyon photo album on Facebook.
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Date
- Oct 09 - 13 2024
Time
- All Day
Cost
- $1,895.00
Location
Dark Canyon & Colorado River