Canoe & Hike the Canyons of the Gunnison River in Colorado
Fri 8/26/16 to Sun 8/28/16
Leader: Jill Yarger (CMC) & Centennial Canoe Outfitters Inc.
Day / Date
Day / Activity (distances are approximate) / Accommodation, Notes
Video:
/ 0 / Thurs. 8/25/16 / The day before departure, plan on arriving in the vicinity of Grand Junction or Clifton, CO, which is about 4 hours west of Denver. Centennial Canoe will provide a trip packet that includes a list of campgrounds and hotels in the vicinity. Centennial Canoe is also happy to share carpool lists.
There is an optional CMC hiking/biking trip before the canoe trip 8/22-25/16 in the vicinity as well. Led by Jill Yarger. You will need to sign up for the pretrip bike/hike with trip leader, Jill Yarger (). Sign up for the canoe trip with Centennial Canoe 720-283-0553 or website: / Pretrip accommodations are up toeach participant.
Video:
Couple in waterfall
Petroglyph panels
Playing in the pools
Hiking the canyon / 1 / Fri 8/26/16 / Arrive at Escalante Canyon Bridge on the Gunnison River, 35 miles south of Grand Junction, CO, at 6:30 am for breakfast.Meet your guide staff and enjoy a continental breakfast before packing your dry bags and loading the gear in the canoes. Dry bags are provided.
After breakfast, each car owner will drive his vehicle to our private parking location at the Whitewater take-out. Centennial Canoe will shuttle all drivers back to the put-in meeting point. This generally takes approximately one hour. While the shuttle is being run, everyone else will be packing gear and preparing to paddle when the drivers return.
Upon their arrival to the put-in our guides will demonstrate paddling instructions and safety issues before launching. There are 2 people per canoe & solo travelers will be paired up with a guide or another customer. Shortly after launching, you will begin paddling past the towering red sandstone walls of Escalante Canyon.
Enjoy the thrill of paddling through Hail Mary’s Rapid (or you can choose to skirt around the side). Paddle downriver until approximately noon and enjoy lunch on the river’s edge, maybe catching a glimpse of an eagle or a desert sheep
After lunch, continue paddling and having water fights (optional) until roughly 3 p.m. You will make camp near the ancient red sandstone walls of Dominguez Canyon (depending on campsite availability).
Late afternoon on the first day is devoted to setting up your tent and possibly taking a short hike, relaxing, playing, bathing or floating in the river.
Happy Hour begins at 5:30 p.m. where hors d'oeuvres and wine will be served.
Dinner is served around 7 p.m. followed by campfire activities that may include games, singing, western tall tales, or guitar playing. / Tent camping along Gunnison River on Bureau of Land Management land. Outfitter provides port-a-potty and bathroom supplies. Outfitter provides all meals including water, lemonade, and complimentary wine with dinner.
Floating in the riffles
Water fight
Desert Sheep
Collard lizard / 2 / Sat 8/27/16 / The middle day is planned as a layover day devoted to hiking the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Area (depending on campsite availability).If campsites are not available we will spend several hours hiking here. In Dominguez Canyon you can discover ancient Indian petroglyphs and waterfalls, cool off and play in the water pools, and see wildlife such as desert sheep, collard lizards and eagles.Lunches will be packed for the hike so you can explore this multi-million year old canyon to your heart’s content.
Other activities during the day may include playing in the river, floating through a stretch of rippling water, and/or relaxing in camp.
Some educational opportunities on this trip:
1) Archaeology & Geology: There are numerous petroglyph panels in Dominguez Canyon and at other locations along the river. Remnants of a primitive stone dwelling can be found. Dinosaur bones have also been found in the area. This area in the Colorado Plateau attracts geologists from all over the world & features 600-million-year-old rock formations.
2) Astronomy: The wilderness night sky is unbelievably clear, allowing opportunities for viewing the constellations, Milky Way, etc.
3) Learn a new skill--canoeing: You will learn how to “read a river” with its currents & riffles. You will also learn how to work in tandem with a canoeing partner. You will learn the basic paddle strokes, and techniques on moving water such as “eddying out.”
4) Wildlife: There are numerous opportunities for viewing wildlife such as desert sheep, turquois collard lizards, river otter, black bear, and eagles.
5) History: Local western history legends abound in this area. Share your stories around the campfire. / Tent camping along Gunnison River on Bureau of Land Management land. Outfitter provides port-a-potty and bathroom supplies. Outfitter provides all meals including water, lemonade, and complimentary wine with dinner.
Packing up / 3 / Sun 8/28/16 / You will break down camp after a hearty breakfast and paddle out of the majestic Dominguez Canyon where the scenery begins to turn much greener with vegetation.
After numerous water fights, river barging, joke telling, a round of Dead Fish Polo, and just having good fun, you typically reach the Whitewater takeout between 2-4 p.m. after lunch. It takes about an hour to unpack gear, and then you're on your way home.
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