Partners for Utah in mid-March

#1

Spring break from March 10-17. I’m looking at tooling around in the Colorado Plateau for 4-8 days with my new Llama. I want to cover 10-20 miles per day, more if moving down a faster stream. Scrambles up to class 4 and water up to class 3 are about my maximum pace this time.

Here’s two possibilities I’m focusing on for now…

  1. Hike into the Dirty Devil River at Angel Cove/Beaver Canyon, then float 35 miles down the DDR to Poison Spring Canyon. From here hitch, shuttle or hike back to the starting point. The DDR promises great wide-canyon vistas plus a mandatory visit to the Happy Canyon narrows. Maybe 4 days, depending on how the loop is closed?

  2. Maidenwater Canyon to Trachyte to Lake Powell, paddle some number of miles south on flatwater. Ascending Ticaboo Canyon all the way to the summit of Mount Holmes from the southeast and descending the mt. to the north, returning to Maidenwater TH. Probably 4 days the way I’ve drawn it, but the loop could shorted by descending/ascending different canyons.

Since I’m driving from Laramie, WY the Escalante and San Juan watersheds are a bit too far. Shame, I know.

Suggestions? takers?

Josh Irwin

#2

Im going to be available to go with you if you want. Ive been down the that stretch last winter. I dont have a vehicle though, id meet you while on bike tour.

#3

Josh, I’m interested in a Dirty Devil trip. Email me: [my username]@gmail.com.

#4

DirtyDevil, Justin: I’d like to team up. Been thinking of how to make put in or take out more ‘interesting’ like put in via NFk Robbers Roost (crack route), or put in/take out via the Great Alcove (Burr Point). It seems like DDR is flowing all the way to the lake, with levels low. I wonder how worthy it is to continue past poison spring cyn to the confluence.

No vehicle? no problem, the devil is in the details.

#5

I thought that the area below poison springs was the most interesting. There is a few more mild rapids and then placid water, but when I ran it, it was pouring rain, and there were litterally hundreds of little waterfalls freefalling from overhanging cliffs into the river and the two thousand foot canyon walls were shrouded with low clouds. Awesome experiance.

#6

Hows this trip coming along. Looking to get over to the dirty myself. I live in moab and have a motocycle that could be used to shuttle , but no car. Are you guys looking for another person? If so have you agreed on some dates?

#7

It was slow going, but warm and beautiful. Ironically the river tripled in flow days after we pulled out. Memorable to say the least.

#8

Hello Everyone!
I would love to do the Dirty Devil this coming 2013 season! I am between jobs at the moment and have a lot of flexibility in my schedule. ACTUALLY I’m looking for a packrafting buddy to do as much as possible in the time I have off. I’m planning on actively packrafting from Late February all the way through mid to Late April. I know it’s early season but my next job starts around then. I’m seriously down to do ANYTHING in the Colorado Plateau, Mogollon Rim and Wasatch Areas. I have a lot of Whitewater experience but also enjoy mellow water as well. The wilder and remoter the scenery the better! I don’t have any specific rivers planned except the Black River in AZ Mid March and the Virgin River (whenever) and Muddy Creek in June. Although its been a marginal season I would love to run the Little Colorado Gorge and the Paria (if miracle flows occur). But again I’m down to do anything.

Greg O’Toole
glo7@nau.edu