Rafting & Day Hiking in Arches &
Canyonlands National Parks, Utah
August 28 – September 6, 2015
TRIP OVERVIEW
This trip is perfect for adventurous individuals and groups of
friends that love the outdoors. Whatever your age, there will be
plenty of excitement, incredible views, photo opportunities, and
new friendships formed. Our adventure begins with a visit to the
geologic wonder, Arches National Park, for a full day of hiking
upon arrival in Utah. That night we'll hole up in western style
cabins and have a barbeque. The following 6 day rafting trip will
be highlighted by days spent on the Colorado River winding
through Cataract Canyon with both easy floating and wild, Class
III whitewater. Varying length day hikes will take us among
dramatic buttes and pinnacles and multi-million-year-old rock
formations. The breathtaking scenery includes a vast, rugged
terrain of red and tan rock cliffs,
sculpted
spires
and
deep
canyons.The first 50 miles of your
river trip, gleaming in its peaceful
and rugged beauty, will orientate
your senses to a land about as far
from urban living as one can get.
You will be astounded by the
absolute redness of the sandstone
looming skyward, by the bright
green willows thriving beside the river, and by the fairest of
desert blue skies. The cooling breezes and inviting cool of the
Colorado conspire to relax, to calm, and to invigorate. Typically,
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we will spend a few hours on the water in the morning, stopping
for a great hike or a visit to a historic site. Come lunchtime, we
pull over to a sandy beach and enjoy a delicious picnic. After
feasting and relaxing on the beach (or swimming, games, or a
nature walk) we get back in our boats for more exciting
whitewater. That evening may bring music, stories or jokes.
Perhaps the whisper of the river and the clarity of the big, starfilled sky will encourage silent reflection on the amazing
wilderness that is, for now, home.
Our group may walk to Lathrop Ruin and view ancient
pictographs of what is believed to be a solstice calendar, and
painted outlines of ancient Anasazi hands that ‘grab’ your
attention. Another day offers the opportunity to explore Indian
Creek Canyon where fascinating Anasazi ruins and a stunning
seasonal waterfall await you. After the mighty Colorado winds us
through The Loop (an exceptional example of the river’s
convoluted twists and turns and a venue for
another great hike) we reach The
Confluence. Here the waters of the Green
River join our party and Cataract Canyon
begins, hinting at the whitewater to come.
The Green River merges with us as it leaves
Stillwater Canyon and ends its 300+mile
journey from Wyoming. In a slow mix, the
clearer waters of the Green take some miles
before they concede to the browner
Colorado.
About three miles beyond the Confluence is Spanish Bottom. Here
we find a fading 1893 inscription from the steamer, Major Powell,
where it turned around twice, not daring to take on the rapids
immediately below. We are in the Maze District, and nearby rock
formations are shouting to be explored. We will take a hike 1,500
feet up to the Doll House, with astounding views in all directions.
Rapids like Mile Long, Capsize and the legendary Big Drops offers
plenty of excitement as we continue our journey. The next
morning we drop into Brown Betty Rapids, and the preceding
days’ anticipation of Cataract explodes in cool water and huge
smiles. On the last day, we arrive at the end of Cataract Canyon
near Lake Powell. As we travel toward Hite Marina, it is difficult
not to imagine the wonders drowned in Glen Canyon below us.
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The bittersweet ending is now here. Thankfully, the flight back to
Grand Junction grants a bit of time to reflect, as we trace our
path, looking out at the beautiful landscape.
TRIP ITINERARY - Preliminary
Below you will find an outline of what the trip entails each day. At
a later date, we will provide more specific descriptions of the
different places we will visit with more detailed descriptions.
Group members should be flexible to a change in itinerary plans.
DAY/DATE
DESTINATION
Friday, Aug 28
Depart Grand Junction, CO via shuttle to Moab, UT. Arrive in
Moab, stay in local cabins. We’ll have pizza at the campground.
Saturday Aug 29
Continental breakfast provided. We’ll use rental cars to drive to
and from Arches National Park for a full day of hiking. Return to
cabins for western BBQ dinner. Group will participate in cooking
group meal and clean up. PM orientation with OARS in
preparation for 6 days, 5 nights on Colorado River. Free time
after orientation to pick up additional food, gear or supplies for
rafting trip.
Sunday Aug 30
Continental breakfast provided. OARS shuttle takes us north of
Moab to our Colorado River put-in at Potash. The scenic 40minute drive follows the river into Meander Canyon where the
walls rise majestically above our heads, and serve as a backdrop
for innumerable petroglyphs. Upon arrival at Potash, our guides
give a thorough safety talk and orientation to our boats and gear.
Pushing off from the shore, we leave the familiar behind and
begin our unique adventure through Canyonlands National Park.
Options to paddle single or double inflatable kayaks. Lunch and
dinner provided by OARS. Camping.
Monday Aug 31
Full day on river, mostly flat water, 3-4 hrs rafting, optional day
hikes. Options to paddle single or double inflatable kayaks.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided by OARS. Camping.
Tuesday Sept 1
Full day on river, flat & white water, 3-4 hrs rafting, optional day
hikes. Options to paddle single or double inflatable kayaks.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided by OARS. Camping.
Wednesday Sept 2
Full day on river, flat & white water, 3-4 hrs rafting, optional day
hikes. Options to paddle single or double inflatable kayaks.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided by OARS. Camping.
Thursday Sept 3
Full day on river, flat & white water, 3-4 hrs rafting, optional day
hikes. Options to paddle single or double inflatable kayaks.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided by OARS. Camping.
Friday Sept 4
Final Day on River, flat & white water, shuttle flight back to Moab
from take out. Stay in nice hotel and go out to a restaurant in
Moab.
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Saturday Sept 5
Sunday Sept 6
A day to explore Moab. Visit museums, galleries, RedRock
Astronomy, and a variety of interesting shops or just relax in
town.
Shuttle back to Grand Junction to catch flights home. Option to
extend trip on your own.
RIVER AND TRAILS ROUTE
We will be spending 6 days rafting, hiking and kayaking in
Canyonlands, which will give us access to the major areas within
the Park. The hiking trails are primitive; food and beverages will
be provided along the way. We will be staying in the park for 5
nights.
This trip will require at least an intermediate level of hiking
experience, a comfort level in the wilderness and on moving
water with the possibility of wind or rain. You must also be ready
to go without a hot shower or porcelain toilet for multiple days.
For more information about the kind of experience needed for this
trip, please see the “Experience and Risks” section of this
prospectus.
We will truly be in the “wild west” with few amenities. You should
be prepared for the possibility of inclement weather and the
possibility of long days, but it will be an adventure of a lifetime
with a small group of adventure enthusiasts.
ACCOMODATIONS AND MEALS
We will be staying in local western style cabins in Moab for the
first two nights and motels for the final two nights. During the
rafting portion we will be staying on beautiful, wild river beaches.
Tents will be provided but some may choose not to use them and
enjoy the wonders of sleeping under beautiful starry skies. Please
be aware that we will practice Leave No Trace/minimum impact
guidelines; you will be assigned to a 2-person tent. There is not
an option to carry a one-person tent, so do not plan on that.
While in Moab we will have breakfasts and dinners at the cabins,
continental breakfasts at the motel and two dinners out at local
restaurants.
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TRANSPORATION
Participants will need to make their own airline arrangements to
Grand Junction. If you need advice/assistance, your leaders will
be happy to help. It is imperative that you arrive in Grand
Junction no later than XX:XX on Friday, August 28th and arrange
for your return flight on Sunday, September 6th after XX:XX.
From Grand Junction airport to our Moab cabins, we will be using
a private shuttle service consisting of two 11 passenger vans.
We’ll rent cars/minivans for our first day of hiking in Arches.
OARS will shuttle us to the rafting launch for the rafting portion of
the trip. We will be able to leave our non-rafting items in storage
at the OARS warehouse. OARS will provide a charter flight from
Hite Marina at the take-out back to our hotel in MOAB. We will
depart from Moab via our private shuttle back to the airport in
Grand Junction.
COST, REGISTRATION AND CANCELLATION
The cost is approximately $2999.00. The final cost of the trip will
be adjusted in accordance with the best final arrangements we
can make. Any savings we achieve, as well as any cost increase,
will be passed back to you. These rates do not include airfare,
estimated to be about $600-$800 based on current prices.
Please be aware that, in accordance with AMC policy, you are
subsidizing the leaders' costs. Beyond this, the leaders are not
allowed to realize any profit from this excursion. The trip price
also includes an AMC overhead fee to cover the administrative
expenses of offering Major Excursions, including the trip's
publication in AMC Outdoors for several months. The trip fee
includes emergency medical and evacuation insurance coverage,
which is required by the AMC.
Any unspent funds resulting from negotiating better rates for
lodging, local transportation, etc. will be refunded to the
participants. If the trip’s financial position is strong enough at the
start, the leaders may make partial refunds in the form of
payments toward some meals and/or free time activities which
would otherwise not be included.
To apply, you must complete and submit the Application,
Confidential Medical forms, Acknowledgement and Assumption of
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Risk and Release forms, and a registration deposit of $500. You
will not actually be accepted, and your check will not be
deposited, until the leaders have determined by telephone
conversation with you that you and the trip seem to be a good
match. Make checks payable to the Appalachian Mountain Club.
This trip is likely to fill quickly. If you are interested, please
contact either of us for all the necessary application and medical
forms.
Leader, Dale Geslien at dalegeslien@sbcglobal.net, land:
(860-568-5349; cell (203) 512-7752
Co-leader, Sarah Keats at slkski@gmail.com, land: (207)
847-3571; cell (207) 756–4226
Our cancellation policy is based on the simple precept that your
cancellation shall not raise the cost to any of the other
participants or the leader. Therefore, if you cancel we will refund
any fees that you have paid, less expenses already incurred, or
unavoidable expenses that will be incurred to the leader or other
participants as a result of your registration and subsequent
cancellation. If you cancel after airline tickets have been
purchased, then you own the tickets and that part of the fee
cannot be refunded. You are STRONGLY encouraged to purchase
the optional trip cancellation/evacuation insurance policy that we
will make available to you upon registration.
When registration is complete, we will
send all participants the names,
addresses, and phone numbers of all
those going on the trip. We are good
communicators and will try very hard to
keep everyone well informed. We will
be using email as our primary source of
communication. If you have any
questions, please contact us.
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TRIP LEADERS
Dale Geslien, Leader Dale is a long time
hike leader for the CT Chapter of the AMC
who has led many trips in the northeast,
including the Club’s August Camp. Having
participated in several Adventure Travel
Excursions throughout the country, Dale most
recently co-lead an Adventure Travel trip to
Zion, Bryce and Escalante in 2013. Dale
started climbing in the White Mountains of NH
at the age of 12 and has completed a 50 mile
hut to hut traverse, stayed at all of the huts
several times, led an annual winter hut trip
for many years and a XC ski trip to AMC’s
Maine Wilderness Lodges. She teaches
Leadership Training for the CT Chapter, is a
Master Educator of Leave No Trace and
volunteered as a Mountain Leadership School instructor for the Club for
many years and holds Wilderness First Aid and CPR certifications. Dale’s
AMC volunteer roles have included CT-AMC Chapter Chair, serving on AMC’s
Board of Directors for six years and is currently a member of the Board of
Advisors. Dale also has a passion for paddling, both flatwater and sea
kayaking.
Sarah Keats, Co-Leader Sarah
Keats is currently one of the CoChairs of the Maine Chapter Young
Members. She has been leading AMC
Maine Chapter trips since 2011. She
loves spending time on the water, by
canoeing, kayaking or swimming. She
has done backcountry canoe camping,
such as the Allagash River in Northern
Maine and has backpacked in the
Adirondacks, Maine, New Hampshire,
and California. Sarah has been hiking
mountains over 4,000 feet since she
was 12 years old, and completed the Adirondack 46, New England 67, NH
48, Northeast 111/115 and New England Hundred Highest.
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EXPERIENCE AND RISKS
Good physical condition is required for this trip. There are many
risks associated with hiking and camping in the wilderness; you
should be aware of these risks, and willing to take responsibility
for your safety and enjoyment. There are many factors which
might keep us from reaching our geographic goals. These include
illness, injury and bad weather. The trip leaders retain the right
to make the best and safest decisions for the group, which might
mean changing our route, not finishing the intended route, or
spending the night somewhere other than originally planned. By
being in this
group, you have
made the
decision to stick
with the
group and
follow the
leaders’
decisions.
When you
participate in
this activity you
should be
both physically
and mentally
prepared and
equipped
with the
appropriate gear. You should always be aware of the risks
involved and conduct yourself accordingly. We are not responsible
for your safety – you are. Please discuss your capabilities and
experience with us prior to registering for this activity. We may
request further information about your capabilities to gauge your
preparedness.
Emergency Evacuation Insurance
Participants should consider taking out supplemental trip
insurance to cover the costs incurred, if they should need to
cancel the trip due to a family emergency, or other fees due to
delays, lost luggage, etc. Upon your trip acceptance confirmation,
you will receive detailed information on a recommended trip
insurance provider, as well as the required medical evacuation
coverage.
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In the case of an emergency during our trip, emergency medical
transportation and evacuation costs can be exorbitant. Most U.S.
medical Policies, HMOs & PPOs provide little or no coverage for
these expenses. The basic policy that is included with your trip
fee is through MedEvac200™ and includes $200,000 for
emergency medical
evacuation. It also includes
an
additional $5000 for
accident and sickness
medical expense, which
would supplement anyone’s
personal medical insurance.
The $5000 is not high, but
participants should have
their own medical insurance.
Optional Travel
Insurance: We highly
recommend the purchase of
trip insurance through
Travel Insurance Services.
Additional insurance
information will be provided
upon sign-up.
BEING A TEAM PLAYER
We will be more than just a group; we will be a team. If you
cannot accept and enjoy being part of a group, if you are not a
team player who is willing to help your fellow hikers, then please
do not register for this excursion. As a member of our team you
will help with meal preparation at the cabins, cleaning, participate
in daily meetings to discuss campsite management and the next
day’s expectations. Although every effort will be made for
individuals to have time to write in journals, take photos, or relax
by the waterside, depending on the pace of the group and other
factors, we cannot guarantee significant amounts of personal
time.
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WEBSITE RESOURCES
http://www.oars.com
OPTIONS FOR INDEPENDENT PRE/POST TRIP
EXTENSIONS
Feel free to add a few extra days to your trip! Moab’s proximity to
many popular destinations makes it quite appealing to consider
your own independent pre or post-trip additions, including:
mountain biking, horseback riding,
fishing, golfing, photo expeditions,
and guided astronomy trips. There
are a multitude of operators
offering half and full day trips for
these activities. However,
depending on your plans, you may
want to check out some prices of
activities that are of interest to you
and compare them with doing it
yourself in a rental car - it is very easy to drive around the area.
EQUIPMENT LIST
Below is a list of the required gear for the trip. The items with
asterisks (*) will be shared, so if you do not have this equipment,
you will be able to share with others.
You will carry this gear for 10 days straight, therefore it is in your
best interest to use as lightweight gear as possible. Including
water, your pack should not be more than approximately 25% of
your bodyweight.
Personal Gear
1
large duffel (to put your nonkayaking items in while rafting)
1 small daypack / lumbar pack for
sightseeing
20 - 30 degree lightweight sleeping
bag pad & ground cloth (if not renting
from OARS)
Small towel & wash cloth
Flashlight or headlamp + batteries
and spare bulb
Shade hat or visor + spare
Sunglasses with securing strap +
spare
Personal toiletries & biodegradable
soap
Sunscreen & lip protection SPF 15+
Moisturizing lotion
Two water bottles with securing
device
Plastic bags for wet or dirty
clothing
Dry sack stuff sacks for personal
item storage
personal first aid kit
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Personal Clothing
1
pair rafting shoes (Tevas,
sandals or tennis shoes. You might
want to consider one pair of shoes
that can also be used for kayaking
(Keen, Teva or other porous water
shoe)
hiking shoes/boots (broken-in)
reliable waterproof wind and rain
gear (top and bottom)—ponchos or
water resistant nylon is not
sufficient—must be waterproof
2 or 3 pair lightweight quick drying
shorts
1 or 2 set lightweight top & bottom
for sunburn protection (long sleeve,
pants)
Several tee shirts (synthetic
recommended)
Fleece pull-over or wool sweater
Fleece pull-on pants
Undergarments (synthetic
recommended)
synthetic top and bottom—hiking
shorts and/or nylon pants, short
sleeve and long sleeve tops
2-3 pairs hiking socks w/ liners
Optional Gear
Bandana(s)
casual
clothing (for in town)
camera and film or extra batteries
playing cards
camp pillow
an extra layer of insulation (fleece
or long underwear as it can be cool
at night)
gloves or mittens
Special snacks you may want
Paddling/Sun protection gloves
Insect repellent
Other shoes to wear around camp
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