The portal of the gorge lay ahead of us. Floating on quiet water, we could not mistake the great gash in the towering walls where the river disappeared. It was the entrance of the canyon that we had had on our minds since the beginning of the trip. We had no idea of what type of white water we might encounter on this portion of the river, located in a remote part of the Yukon Territory in Canada. No one before us had ever run it.
My boating companion, Jerry Dixon, and I pulled our kayaks up on shore at the entrance to the canyon. We worked our way on and around cliffs and across talus fields, scouting the rapids in the river below. The first part looked good: some class IV water, but nothing that we could not handle in the maneuverable, inflatable kayaks, specially designed with a covered deck and a fiber glass cockpit to keep out splashing water. We hiked on, finding more runnable rapids but no suitable place to stop between rapids. The canyon walls plunged straight into the river and in some places overhung the water. We scoured the sides of the river looking for a break in the walls, but we could not find a single weakness where a kayak could be beached and we could get out.
Then the gorge narrowed dramatically into a twisting slot not much wider than a doorway. A huge pile of torn and splintered logs and driftwood had lodged against the canyon walls, forming an imposing, spiny plug rising fifty feet above the water. The river was so narrow here that Jerry rapelled to the edge and straddled the canyon with feet on opposite canyon walls. Even though the river was runnable to this point we could find no place where we could get out of our boats to carry them around the huge driftwood plug blocking our run through the gorge. We were left no choice but to portage the entire two-and-a-half-mile stretch of the canyon. Fortunately, the equipment that we had chosen was suitable for the river. From our aerial reconnaissance we had known that long portages might be required. The inflatable kayaks could be deflated and, along with their fiber glass seats, stuffed into a pack for the long, difficult portage across steep, loose-scree slopes, dense and tangled brush, and exposed, precipitous cliffs. Even with our lightweight equipment, the portage took two and a half days to complete. With hard-shelled kayaks or inflatable rafts, the portage would have been many times more arduous.
Choice of equipment, then becomes an important consideration when planning
multi-day river trips. The following section looks more closely at
this aspect of planning.
Lightweight Style. The type of craft used in this style
includes light, small inflatable rafts, kayaks, canoes, and other small
inflatable boats such as inflatable kayaks.
Accessory camping equipment carried along includes
lightweight sleeping bags, nylon tents or tarps, and other equipment that
a backpacker commonly would use. Food consists of freeze-dried suppers,
and lightweight lunches and breakfasts. Cooking is done on small
backpacking gas stoves, or if it is environmentally acceptable, over a
campfire with light cooking gear. Equipment is carried in waterproof
vinyl or rubber bags or packs.
Types of trips in this category include self-contained
kayak trips where everything for the trip, including food and gear, is
carried in the kayak. A self-contained trip in a hard-hulled white-water
kayak is the ultimate means of running white-water rivers. Boaters
using this method have run extremes in white-water difficulty in remote
areas. One of the most famous river journeys in a self-contained
kayak was done by the late Walt
Blackadar, a physician from Idaho. He challenged the enormous,
turbulent, unrelenting rapids of Turnback Canyon on the Alsek River in
northern British Columbia. He tried to interest other good kayakers
in accompanying him, but all readily turned down his off offer when they
learned of the expected 50,000-cfs flow of violent water crashing between
canyon walls on a river never run before. Blackadar, carrying all
his gear, including his familiar plastic bottle of vodka, successfully
ran the river alone.
Blackadar's trip is on the far end of the spectrum
of white-water journeys and most boaters find great enjoyment running rivers
far less difficult than Turnback Canyon. Blackadar's use of the self-contained
kayak, however, is an excellent method of doing river trips. Equipment
is light and honed to the bare minimum, and a group of kayakers working
together efficiently can cover a lot of ground in a day.
Other types of trips that fit in this category include
lightweight wilderness canoe trips, especially those journeys that include
long portages over trailless terrain. Boaters using small (approximately
less than twelve feet in size) inflatable rafts and other small inflatables
can incorporate this style to run rivers. The inflatable kayaks we
used in the Yukon Territory were perfectly suited for the type of river
we ran.
The lightweight style is used for exploring rivers
in remote territories as well as for running small, rocky rivers where
lightness and maneuverability are paramount. Some boaters use this
style for any river, small or large, because to them it is a way of trimming
down to the raw essentials and challenging nature in a simple, meaningful
way.
Luxurious Style. This style includes all forms of white-water
craft, including the largest of inflatable rafts. All of the smaller
craft--kayaks, canoes, and inflatables--require a sizable raft for support
to carry all the equipment.
Equipment carried on luxury trips can consist of
just about anything someone might take with them on a car-camping trip,
minus the trailer. Large, heavy tents, sleeping bags, clothing, and
even cots for people who do not like to sleep on the ground may be carried.
Big stoves with large propane tanks may be used. If cooking is done
over fires, large, metal fire pans are utilized to contain the ashes.
Meals on such trips can be anything prepared at home, or even what you
might find in the finest of restaurant. Fresh vegetables, fruits,
and meats are carried in coolers packed with ice. Cooking is done
in the heaviest of cookware: cast-iron ovens and pans. Heavy boxes
of metal or wood are used for storage of gear and food. Some people
on luxurious trips take electric pumps for bailing out water in boats,
lawn chairs in which to relax by the river, and volleyball nets for recreation.
For this style of trip, the river must be large
enough in volume to float larger inflatable rafts--thus, it is a popular
style on larger rivers that usually do not have portage. If there
are portages, the task of carrying boats and equipment is not pleasant.
This style is particularly enjoyable for kayaking. All the food and
overnight gear is carried on the rafts, leaving the kayaks light and maneuverable
for pleasurable river running.
Some wilderness purists shun the invasion of modern
conveniences and petty comforts on wild rivers. Others, however,
incorporate both worlds in their repertoire of river experiences: on one
trip, struggling down a remote, little heard-of river with a minimum of
equipment, yet on the next trip, kicking back in a comfortable inflatable
raft, tossing Frisbees back and forth with a neighboring boat while holding
onto drinks chilled with ice.
The equipment that you will have to organize and
take on your overnight trip will depend on the style you choose.
Obviously the light weight style is the easiest to organize. Luxurious
trips with fresh food and mountains of equipment can turn into a planning
nightmare. Many trips fall someplace in between the lightweight and
luxurious extremes.
Because the multi-day trip demands more preparation than others, let 's take a closer look at it.
Regulated Rivers. Some rivers have become so popular that
the great numbers of people using them are causing problems. On popular
day stretches, boats may crash into each other in rapids and kayaks may
wait in lines to play at certain rapids. The most serious problems
occur on rivers where overnight and multi-day trips take place. On
such rivers there are only a limited number of campsites, which get used
time and time again. Vegetation is trampled, campfire scars abound,
and human waste can cause sanitation problems. In fact, researchers
on the Colorado River found that before human waste regulations were instituted,
a person with a small wound on his foot could become infected with gangrene
by walking across a heavily used camping beach.
To minimize environmental impact, many land agencies
have been forced to develop regulations to help protect the river.
The most important regulation that will affect your group on such rivers
is whether or not there is a permit system.
On rivers with permit systems, you will have to
apply in advance to obtain a permit. Some of these rivers have a
lottery system by which names are drawn out of a hat to determine who runs
the river. The important thing is to find out the various procedures
involved in obtaining a permit. You will want to write far in advance,
twelve months is not too early.
Information about which rivers have permit systems
is available in guidebooks and other sources.
Assembling the Party. The group accompanying you may range
from one other friend to a dozen or more people. Try to arrange trips
with smaller groups-no more than a dozen. You will have fewer planning
hassles, the trip will run more smoothly, and in many cases, a smaller
group will cause less damage to the river's environment. In addition
to your own considerations, some rivers that are managed by a governmental
agency may require you to keep the party under a certain size.
If you are initiating a trip in which each of the
party members runs his own boat--a kayak, canoe, or small inflatable--then
everyone in the party should be sufficiently experienced for the difficulty
of the river you plan to run.
On inflatable raft trips where the rafts are run
by one person on the oars, inexperienced people can ride as passengers.
On easy stretches of the rivers, the passengers can take turns on the oars
and gradually learn how to run the boat. In this way you can put
together a party with both experienced and inexperienced people.
Dispersing Information. Get your party together far in advance of the trip. Talk over dates, equipment, costs, and so on. Delegate duties. For instance, if you are short on boats, put someone in charge of renting or borrowing additional boats. If some of the party members are from out of town, send them a letter detailing the plans.
Preparation Day. A procedure followed by some float parties is to tack on at least an extra day at the beginning of the trip--before driving to the river--to spend in town, buying food, packing vehicles, and so on. The nature of a noncommercial trip is to involve everyone on the trip, and all people should help with the preparatory duties as well as river duties. This process adds a day that people may have to include in their vacation, but it makes them an integral part of the trip from start to finish. Additionally, with everyone's help, the packing, the loading, the buying of food, and the cleaning up all go much faster.
Length of Trip. Find out how long it normally takes others
to run the river and adapt this amount of time to your plans. Give
yourself plenty of leeway. The actual length of time that you will
need on the river depends on many factors, such as how high the water is,
how many (if any) portages must be made, and how many problems the party
has on the journey.
Inflatable rafts in normal water conditions commonly
run fifteen to twenty miles a day. A small, self-contained kayak
party may average twenty-five or more miles a day.
I generally like to schedule less than the above average. That
way the trip is conducted at a more relaxing pace, people become more acquainted
with the river, and there is more time to hike. Putting together
a multi-day trip requires a tremendous amount of energy, and once you actually
get on the river, it is nice to slow down and savor the experience.
On a typical raft trip, I may average ten miles
a day. On a kayak trip friends and I do on the Salmon River in Idaho,
we average only three to four miles a day for the first half of the journey.
This part of the Salmon is scenic and has many good rapids, ideal places
in which we can play in kayaks for hours. The weather usually is
warm and days are easygoing and lazy--just the way a vacation should be.
For efficiency, groups usually pool their money. Before leaving
on a trip, make a cost estimate considering the following:
It is a good idea to collect a deposit early in the planning process.
The deposit will give you a good idea of how many people are going on the
trip so that boats may be reserved and lists of the members of the party
can be sent to governmental agencies in charge of the river if they require
it. When people put money down on something, it makes their commitment
more serious.
Food. Buying food for multi-day trips can be done in several
ways:
Personal Equipment. With the party, go over a list of personal equipment and be sure everyone has adequate equipment and clothing for the trip (see multi-day river trip equipment list).
Expectations and Safety. From the very beginning it is
important that everyone in the group knows that he is expected to help
in all the duties that are necessary in conducting a river trip.
Fires need to be built boats loaded and unloaded, campsites picked up,
and so on. When everyone helps, the trip runs more smoothly and everyone
has more leisure time. All party members also should realize before
they go on the trip that there are potential dangers involved in white
water. From a legal standpoint as well as a moral one, you and other
knowledgeable people going on the trip should not create a false impression
of the trip, making it sound like it is free from all dangers. Be
objective and honest in your evaluation of what dangers are involved.
After a quick review of the dangers, stress the
importance of safety on the trip. A trip is only as safe as all the
individual members make it. Everyone has a personal responsibility
of doing his utmost to be safe.
Environment. At this meeting, remind people of the appropriate
techniques to minimize environmental impact (see the chapter about camping).
Explain the use of fire pans to prevent damage to campsite. You may
follow a special procedure of handling human waste. Remind people
not to put soaps in wild, unpolluted rivers. These procedures and
others are essential to keeping users from destroying the river environment.
One last comment about traveling: Be sure everyone knows where you are
going. Some other boating friends drove off one weekend to run a
desert river. The put-in was located somewhere out in a maze of roads
crisscrossing the desert. The two vehicles they drove became separated
and finally, in exhaustion, one of the groups stopped to get some sleep.
The problem was that their sleeping bags were carried in the other vehicle.
To make it through the chilly desert night, one fellow curled up in the
cramped Volkswagen and another climbed into the canvas bag that carried
the rubber raft. They never found the river and finally returned
home, much to their chagrin and the amusement of their friends back home.
Occasionally, some people will boat rivers alone. It goes against what most books advise, but I feel strongly that a person with many rivers find many days of experience under his belt can have rich and rewarding experiences boating alone. (One of the best personal descriptions I have read of solo kayaking is contained in Whit Deschner's Does the Wet Suit You?). There is no doubt that solo boating is not so safe as boating with others, and thus the person who ponders boating alone must fully understand that he is greatly increasing the risks. If he makes the choice, he should never expect a rescue if he runs into trouble. If the solo boater finds himself injured, there is little chance of help anyway. It is this additional risk that makes the solo trip a magnificent experience, yet in the case of an accident, a grim defeat.
I have boated alone on Alaskan and Canadian rivers. Scenes come to mind of paddling to shore, seeing fresh grizzly bear and wolf tracks. One time I kayaked alone on a river in the southwestern United States. Along one stretch in the early morning, a snowy egret repeatedly landed and flew in front of me for numerous miles. When I finally stopped to stretch out on the sun-baked sand near where I had last seen the egret, I found a falls of crystal water falling free from a cliff above the river. A slight breeze blew a veil of water across the deep blue of the sky, creating a rainbow against it.
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