The Gila Region winter paddling season has officially begun, with a bang! All of the region’s boatable creeks and rivers are up (San Francisco River WSA + 42 miles), Upper San Fran, Gila Wilderness, Gila Middle Box, AZ Gila Box, Mogollon Creek, Whitewater Creek, Blue River and Eagle Creek), with the next paddling window the first week of 2023.
We’re staged and ready to paddle here, at my home in Pleasanton, NM, on the banks of the San Franciso River. Seasonal temps for the winter paddling season average 55/32. Right now, my booking calendar is clear, and I can facilitate trips throughout the season (Dec-Apr).
Happy New Year!
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Hey @zdog,
I’m unfamiliar with any packrafting trips in NM. Mind providing some pictures or elaborating on what makes it unique and perhaps why it’d be worth a trip?
I’ve only heard the best things about the state!
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Hi! Do you know of anyone who will drive shuttles for the Verde (Childs to Sheep Bridge)? Also, I am planning to do the Gila Wilderness run, putting in on Friday. Looks like flows should be somewhere around 250. Any idea how long it takes at those kinds of flows? Any tips for this trip? Thanks for any info you can share!
I don’t know anyone that runs full shuttles for Verde, but GAILS (575) 654-5567 does run shuttles for the Gila Region. The Gila Wilderness is 38 miles in length, so I’d plan on 3 days/2 nights minimum at those flows. The shuttle is rather onerous, due to the windy road, it takes 3 hours each way = 9+ hours of driving to do your own shuttle. GAILS shuttles you from the take-out with their own rig, whereas GWL requires you to drive all the way to put-in and then they back-haul (drive) your car the next day.
Thanks! I talked to Dean of the Wilderness Lodge (is that GWL?) about doing the shuttle. If they can take the vehicle from the put-in to the takeout and leave it there for us, that will work well, as we can then just head back north to Mancos from the takeout. We have 3 nights. Looking forward to it!
Heading your way zdog from Gunnison CO. Interested in a last minute San Fran-Pleasanton to Clifton or Gila-Upper & Middle packraft before the flow goes.
Any contacts for some shuttle help or advice for either of those runs would be greatly appreciated.
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When? Contact me at GAILS on FB for logistics assistance https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090442732499
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