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Want to Plan a Packraft Trip?

6K views 36 replies 17 participants last post by  Shapp 
#1 ·
Anyone have interest in planning out a 4 day hike/packraft/fish trip sometime this spring - I'm thinking may, june, or later in sept, oct.

The idea would be to hike in at least a dozen miles, then raft back through some water that doesn't get a ton of pressure.

If you've got legs - might as well use them while you can :)

I'm not dead set on a particular location, but wouldn't mind dropping some coin on a quick flight to CO (black canyon), MT (John Day), or ID (?).

-Jesse
 
#4 ·
Until I clicked on it, I thought this was going to be a backpacking with raft kind of trip. After reading your post Jesse, I'm not sure what kind of trip you're talking about. You mention hiking at least a dozen miles and then floating out, but your examples are rivers with drive to access at the top and bottom ends of float trips. The only raft I'm hiking any distance with is my Curtis, and would barely carry me with my backpack in it and isn't intended for river float trips. At the other end is Evan's cataraft.

I was looking at an interesting float up north, but it would result in floating into the Pacific Ocean with no simple shuttle back to the car; plus I have no idea if the river is navigable.

Black Canyon has some Class IV from what I read, so that's probably outa' my league. John Day is a wonderful float and camping trip according to everyone I've talked to, but hotter than Hades in the summer, and fishing for spiny rays isn't my highest priority.

Gotta' come up with something tho. With the rivers punched, I spent yesterday afternoon exploring maps and day dreaming about fishing trips to Mexico and British Columbia.

Sg
 
#7 ·
I don't know what rivers - I'm open to just about all the ideas. Here's the dream;

-2 days of backpacking into/up a river out of road reach.
-3 days of floating that river
-2 days of deleting all my pictures of the virgin trout I've defiled with loving hands.

That last part kind of creeps me out, but it's what I want to do. I'm going to be scouring some maps looking for potential spots; rivers without roads - heinous tangles of blue lines waiting to be explored.

Figured I'd just get the conversation started and see where it'd take me. Big things have humble beginnings right? :)
 
#8 ·
Jesse,

We need some kind of understanding here. What's your idea of an acceptable pack weight?

I've been upgraded my packbacking gear over the past decade. The pack I carry is rated for 30# max. I'm likin' the ultra-light stuff and have no intention of ever going expidition style again.

My Curtis raft weighs two pounds. My WM weighs about 30#, but is suitable for a multi-day float trip. Most rafts made for river use begin at above 50#, without rowing frames or oars. Not intended for packpacking by anybody I know. The closest to what you're describing can probably be achieved with an Alpacka inflatable raft, but that's about it.

Sg
 
#10 ·
To elaborate a little more - I figure if I pack with some discernment - I could get my pack down to 35lbs WITH the alpacka and oars. Have you seen those crafts loaded up? They look pretty stable. I wouldn't want to be fishing out of one on the move, but it seems like the perfect vehicle for moving to sweet spots - getting out and fishing - then moving on down.

I'd also be down for a watermaster trip. I have the older silvertip model which is a bit lighter than the new beef boats. Mumbles and I did a two day trip on eastern washington and the boats performed great loaded up with an extra 35lbs of gear.

-J
 
#11 ·
Jesse, how much does your smaller silvertip weight, fully packed for rolling down a trail? With your minimal gear how much do you think you'd have on your back and how far do you really plan to hike in? I'd be up for a hike in, float to an extraction point trip. Problem is that the water master weight, despite a great craft, is a bit much for a trip of much distance. I know you are way more fit than I am, how far do you think you could go with that on your back...plus whatever else you need for the trip?
 
#12 ·
Shit. I think with a watermaster (70lb easy) stuffed with some overnight gear- that's at least 90lbs. Unreal. I could probably do about 4 miles with a hundred pound pack, but that's just self imposed misery. The watermaster pack would dig into the shoulders pretty well - that's for sure.

If it's a backpacking trip - I would much rather use the lightweight Alpacka and pack in about 12 miles for a nice long float the way back down.

Ed - to your point though. There's a lot of guys with watermasters and I'm sure there's a lot of awesome floats that wouldn't require a long hiking haul with gear. I can't think of any off the top of my head, but it might be good to start a group of people that are interested in some 2-3 day float trips. What do you think?

I think we've got two separate options;

1) Backpacking long distances with Alpackas
2) Weekend trips with WaterMasters
 
#13 ·
With the Hoh, Yellowstone trip and a couple of long weekend trips a possibilty for me this summer I might be maxing out my fishing adventure points that are not a lake or beach nearby. I do want to do a multiple day float camping along the way. Even the Yakima where you put in in the upper canyon and float to the lower canyon is appealing. In considering float trip plans I've been given recommenations like the Salmon, Flathead, Grand Ronde, John Day, Yakima for trout above the dam, Yakima below the dam for smallies or the Rogue. I'm sure that there are so many options that I'm unaware of, but fishing for three or four days with only the gear you got dropped off with is very appealing. I've done that hiking type of trip before. Dropped a point A by a support vehicle (spouse glad to get rid of you for a few days) and exit at point B some time later and some distance away.
 
#16 ·
A really cool kind of trip is to take your gear and WM or raft to Dillingham, AK and then have a float plane service drop you off on a lake or pond near the headwaters of a river and float down for a week. Done that twice and would love to go again. Very much a wilderness experience, and the fishing's pretty darn good too.

Sg
 
#17 ·
Trips that would meet your criteria include a trip on the South Fork Flathead (MT) from Youngs Creek Ford down to Mid-Creek takeout,

Also, the Minam (OR) from Reds Horse Ranch to Minam would be good. You could also packraft the Wenaha (OR) from Elk Flats down to Troy.

Not too difficult but you need to watch for log jams.

Besides the various Alpaca type packrafts that are pretty good at doing some pretty hairy stuff, there are other ways to get quality expedition type boats to wilderness put-ins without the use of a plane or horse. I have taken my Aire IK and strapped a kayak wheel cart on it, taken my main and extra paddle and strapped it along either side up front, loaded it with my backpack gear and pulled it like a mormon hand cart on some several mile trips. Of course you need a regular trail for this, with minimal blowdown across the trail to make it not a total PITA
 
#18 ·
Yeah, OK!
But how are you going to get a licensed llama, (with it's handler, & llama chow), from Argentina, across all the borders & into Colorado?
I'm thinking that from what you've been saying is that you're leaning towards doing a float tube/hiking trip. Just because of the weight factors involved, right? They must have shortened the WM's frame by halves to get such a small pack on that llama, lol!

Out of curiosity though, .......
What types of food stuff are, or would you be taking for a week/2week long trip? All at once? Or are you meeting the wife at predesignated stops to replenish your supplies? Or are you living off the land? Maybe you're planning on eating the fish you catch, berries & nuts, mushrooms, or root veggies you can find growing wild? I think the farmers might have some buckshot or the local County sheriff chasing you down if you decided to kill & eat one of his cattle that you'll see along the way.
 
#19 ·
I think I've narrowed down some options;

I've got my pack down to about 36-41 lbs depending upon the length of the trip and the amount of water that I'll need to take. This means that I'll be using the alpacka. I plan on hiking about 20 miles in, floating a couple nice sections away from the trail and some lakes that don't have any trails leading up to them. Should be a fun exploration trip.

If you have access to a packraft, feel free to drop me a PM - already have one other buddy in on the idea. We are targeting mid June. Hopefully the snow pack cooperates. If not - it'll be a early September trip.
 
#24 ·
View attachment 38519 View attachment 38520 View attachment 38521

Ive been brewing on this idea for awhile now and it sounds like somthing you would be interested in. A multi day float pack down the upper streaches of the Cascade river. There is plenty of river access way up there toward the headwaters and there will some serious hikes around sections of huge log jams. Too do it you would have to go ultra lite weight and plan on plenty of climbing and bushwacking. The reward would be fishing in areas that havent seen a fly, in my opinon the best scenery in western WA, a chance to float water that only a handful of people have seen. I floated from a bridge off a logging road to marble creek campground. According from the camp host our group was the first people that had floated that section since he had been there (3yrs). An absolutly amazing float, Ive floated nearly every raftable in Wa and the scenery was about the best. Picked up a few fish in really high water in early season but I can imagine once the river drops back in shape and water turns semi clear the fishing would be great.

The float we did was just a small tip of the iceburg and soon as we hit the bank Ive been trying to figure out how to fully explore the upper reaches. Ive also talked to the most vetern river guide Ive worked with and they have made an attempt with a raft and didnt work well about 15 years ago, but with a packable boat it would be doable. If this sounds like something you interested in we can hammer out some details.

Ive also got some more pics if your interested
 
#30 ·
#27 ·
Once you pass the campground the river changing from a meandering stream to about
5 miles of continous class 5+ white water as the cascade crashes down to the skagit. The campground is both the take out for the upper float and putin for the white water section. Does that clear up the discrepancy?
 
#28 ·
The more it is discussed, the more intrigued I am. When doe the WW kayakers hit that area in full force, that might be something to go and check out. As for the above campground meandering, that is more my style. Sounds like the basis for a good trip plan gents, hope we hear more about it.
 
#31 ·
I recall Cupo's photo's from the previous thread, and they mirror my impressions from years past exactly. I'd expect about as much portaging as floating (it will seem like it even if it isn't), and frankly don't think the fishing would be that good. I'll pass on this one and consider an alternative.

Sg
 
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