PACKRAFTING-HIKING. UTAH. Ruta de Largo Recorrido. Long trail. CANYONLANDS ∞ (2017) USA
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 95.49 mi
- Elevation gain
- 8,668 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 8,248 ft
- Max elevation
- 5,467 ft
- TrailRank
- 33
- Min elevation
- 5,467 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- 6 days 21 hours 16 minutes
- Coordinates
- 9097
- Uploaded
- January 4, 2021
- Recorded
- March 2017
near La Sal Junction, Utah (United States)
Viewed 121 times, downloaded 0 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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With the permission of Kavik, colleague and friend, I transcribe his complete description of the route we did in 2017 with Peñate, our great indestructible friend.
........
Packrafting through one of the most remote regions of the United States, under the 49th parallel, a route carried out between the end of February and the beginning of March 2017. It was 8 magical days, with my colleagues and friends Edu and José Peñate, always alone. , we meet no one until we get to the car.
The original idea is by Forrest McCarthy, http://forrestmccarthy.blogspot.com.es/2014/04/packrafting-guide-to-southern-utah.html.
But above all we have to thank our good friend Moe (http://www.planetapackraft.com/2015/01/articulo-intervista-con-moe-witschard.html) for all his help.
140 km, 8-shaped route, descending the Colorado and Green rivers (80 km) and walking through the Maze, Needles and Indian Creek Wilderness Area (80 km).
The descent of the rivers was easy, there are no rapids in this area called Flatwater, but there are areas that are difficult to walk and with a high risk of falling.
Logistics before arriving:
We flew to Las Vegas (7h) and there we rented a 4x4, we passed the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley before arriving at Canyonlands. There is less driving distance if you fly to Salt Lake City (4h) or Denver (5.5h), be careful in winter with road closures.
It is not necessary to rent a 4x4 but in winter there is a chance of snow storms.
If you travel to the United States for this route, I recommend that you order your food from Amazon and send it to the hotel or to a "locker" to pick it up when you arrive, thus saving time.
Being a National Park, you must request permits and comply with specific regulations for packrafting trips, for more information: https://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/packrafting.htm
Route logistics:
Leave your backpacks at Indian Creek Fall Campground, by Lock Hart Rd and have one or two drive the car to the end of the trail, Elephant Hill, Canyonlands. There we will leave the car with the license number visible, we will hitchhike back to where our partner is, the starting point, on weekends or holidays there are more people and therefore it is easier for them to take you.
River water carries large amounts of sediment, it is advisable to bring a gravity filter that can be washed when you start to filter slowly.
ROUTE:
- We will continue on foot along Lockhart Rd until we reach the height of Indian Creek, some milestones will indicate the point of descent to the stream. This ravine, Indian Creek, 30 km, is usually dry, unless it has rained the days before, you must bring the necessary water.
- When we reach the end we will find a jump that we cannot pass, there is an escape to the left, with small milestones that will indicate the exit. Now we must continue, with some intuition, skirting up Indian Creek until we reach where we can descend, at the convex point of the meander.
- There is an extensive camping area on the right side of the Indian Creek mouth with the Colorado River.
- The descent of the Colorado is calm, without any type of rapids, although the day we did it was hard due to the strong wind in the opposite direction. We sail to La Confluencia with the Green River and there we continue, until we reach Spanish Bottom, before Cataract Canyon. We must leave the river to the right, some stairs carved into a log will indicate the exact point (Waypoint Stairs). There are several plains to camp, look for one protected from the wind.
- From Spanish Bottom we will ascend to Doll House, there we can find water in the natural pools if it has rained the days before, the next point with water is at the final junction of the Plug Route and Pete Mesa Route.
- After Dool House we will continue along a track to Chimney Rock, a longer alternative, surely more beautiful, would be to go through the trails marked on the map.
- Starting from Chimney Rock, by recommendation, we follow the Pete Mesa Route.
- You have to go back along the Plug Route to the Harvest Scene pictograms, a must-see.
- Without backpacks, we visited Maze Overlook and climbed to the highest point, spectacular view.
- We continue through Horse Canyon until we reach the top of the Green River, if we follow the track it is easy to find access to the Green River (it took us noon to find it).
- We will arrive at Spanish Bottom, again, from there to Red Lower Canyon until we reach Elephant Hill where we have the car.
RECOMMENDED MAPS:
Canyonlands National Park Trail Map (# 210), 1: 70.000
Maze District: Canyonlands National Park Trail Map (#312), 1:35.000
........
Packrafting through one of the most remote regions of the United States, under the 49th parallel, a route carried out between the end of February and the beginning of March 2017. It was 8 magical days, with my colleagues and friends Edu and José Peñate, always alone. , we meet no one until we get to the car.
The original idea is by Forrest McCarthy, http://forrestmccarthy.blogspot.com.es/2014/04/packrafting-guide-to-southern-utah.html.
But above all we have to thank our good friend Moe (http://www.planetapackraft.com/2015/01/articulo-intervista-con-moe-witschard.html) for all his help.
140 km, 8-shaped route, descending the Colorado and Green rivers (80 km) and walking through the Maze, Needles and Indian Creek Wilderness Area (80 km).
The descent of the rivers was easy, there are no rapids in this area called Flatwater, but there are areas that are difficult to walk and with a high risk of falling.
Logistics before arriving:
We flew to Las Vegas (7h) and there we rented a 4x4, we passed the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley before arriving at Canyonlands. There is less driving distance if you fly to Salt Lake City (4h) or Denver (5.5h), be careful in winter with road closures.
It is not necessary to rent a 4x4 but in winter there is a chance of snow storms.
If you travel to the United States for this route, I recommend that you order your food from Amazon and send it to the hotel or to a "locker" to pick it up when you arrive, thus saving time.
Being a National Park, you must request permits and comply with specific regulations for packrafting trips, for more information: https://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/packrafting.htm
Route logistics:
Leave your backpacks at Indian Creek Fall Campground, by Lock Hart Rd and have one or two drive the car to the end of the trail, Elephant Hill, Canyonlands. There we will leave the car with the license number visible, we will hitchhike back to where our partner is, the starting point, on weekends or holidays there are more people and therefore it is easier for them to take you.
River water carries large amounts of sediment, it is advisable to bring a gravity filter that can be washed when you start to filter slowly.
ROUTE:
- We will continue on foot along Lockhart Rd until we reach the height of Indian Creek, some milestones will indicate the point of descent to the stream. This ravine, Indian Creek, 30 km, is usually dry, unless it has rained the days before, you must bring the necessary water.
- When we reach the end we will find a jump that we cannot pass, there is an escape to the left, with small milestones that will indicate the exit. Now we must continue, with some intuition, skirting up Indian Creek until we reach where we can descend, at the convex point of the meander.
- There is an extensive camping area on the right side of the Indian Creek mouth with the Colorado River.
- The descent of the Colorado is calm, without any type of rapids, although the day we did it was hard due to the strong wind in the opposite direction. We sail to La Confluencia with the Green River and there we continue, until we reach Spanish Bottom, before Cataract Canyon. We must leave the river to the right, some stairs carved into a log will indicate the exact point (Waypoint Stairs). There are several plains to camp, look for one protected from the wind.
- From Spanish Bottom we will ascend to Doll House, there we can find water in the natural pools if it has rained the days before, the next point with water is at the final junction of the Plug Route and Pete Mesa Route.
- After Dool House we will continue along a track to Chimney Rock, a longer alternative, surely more beautiful, would be to go through the trails marked on the map.
- Starting from Chimney Rock, by recommendation, we follow the Pete Mesa Route.
- You have to go back along the Plug Route to the Harvest Scene pictograms, a must-see.
- Without backpacks, we visited Maze Overlook and climbed to the highest point, spectacular view.
- We continue through Horse Canyon until we reach the top of the Green River, if we follow the track it is easy to find access to the Green River (it took us noon to find it).
- We will arrive at Spanish Bottom, again, from there to Red Lower Canyon until we reach Elephant Hill where we have the car.
RECOMMENDED MAPS:
Canyonlands National Park Trail Map (# 210), 1: 70.000
Maze District: Canyonlands National Park Trail Map (#312), 1:35.000
Waypoints
Waypoint
5,139 ft
Brimhall Point
Latitude: 38.2349030022 Longitude : -110.0006289594
Waypoint
4,538 ft
C1
Latitude: 38.2197427377 Longitude : -109.7021954041
Waypoint
3,903 ft
C2
Latitude: 38.2961730380 Longitude : -109.7868139856
Waypoint
3,896 ft
C3
Latitude: 38.1577589829 Longitude : -109.9333429802
Waypoint
4,550 ft
C4
Latitude: 38.2281900197 Longitude : -109.9881489761
Waypoint
4,328 ft
C5
Latitude: 38.2679650001 Longitude : -109.9617139623
Waypoint
3,922 ft
C6
Latitude: 38.2699850388 Longitude : -109.9078429677
Waypoint
3,875 ft
C7
Latitude: 38.1636320148 Longitude : -109.9191359896
Waypoint
4,088 ft
Green River & Colorado River junction
Green River
Waypoint
4,669 ft
Harvest Scene
Latitude: 38.2202869747 Longitude : -109.9902240001
Waypoint
5,119 ft
Parking Elephant Hill
Latitude: 38.1417863443 Longitude : -109.8269806523
Waypoint
4,528 ft
Spring (fuente)
El agua se filtra a través de las rocas, también puedes encontrar pequeños riachuelos por los alrededores
Waypoint
3,883 ft
Stairs
Buscar una escalera fabricada en un tronco para dejar el río. Look for a wood stair !
Waypoint
4,677 ft
Start.
Start
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