Dinosaur Rafting Trip

I'm thinking of doing a 4-day rafting trip on the Green River through Dinosaur National Monument this summer. I think it could be a good opportunity to get photos of the canyons you can't otherwise get. And I figure it would be best to get a group of photographers together for this, so we can stop at the right places for getting good photos with the best light. Eagle Outdoor Sports offers trips for $500, meals included - http://www.eagle5.com/Trip_Info/trip_info.html. They offer group discounts, so we should be able to get prices lower than that.

I'm curious who else might be interested in this. I'm going to avoid the wildflower season, so I'm thinking late June or mid-August. If you're interested, please reply here and let me know if you have a preference of dates. Max group size is 25, but they prefer around 14.

Thanks!

I've never seen a dinosaur before so I think this would be awesome! I'll look into it and depending on the dates, I might be interested.

Jack

I've only been there once and I've wanted to go back for quite awhile. I would be interested, and I would be up for either time frame as long as I had some advanced notice.I'm not much for the thrill of whitewater rafting, but this would be a much easier way to get to some tough to reach areas of the park. It would be great to get a group together for that kind of trip -- awesome idea!

Paul

This is a trip my girlfriend and I have wanted to do since we saw the canyon on the Green river that is only accessible by raft.

Jack, beleive it or not, dinosaurs are nearly extinct! So while there's a good chance you'll see one, I can't make any promises...

Paul, there are class III & IV rapids. But since the guides only do trips in Dinosaur, I figure they know the river well. I too am not doing this for the whitewater, but just to see Dinosaur from a different perspective.

I surely would have to buy some waterproof and hopefully floatable bags. I don't think anything I currently have would do well while rafting. Does anyone know if places like this rent such equipment?

Jack

Most of the outfitters provide these bags. Some have special containers just for your camera, which is my biggest concern. I'll post more info once I've talked to these people.

I forgot to mention, Grant, that I am terrified of water But I have been rafting once and in this case I would be more motivated because of the opportunity afforded by engaging in it. Keep us posted, I'm certainly interested.
Paul

I've kayaked the Green and also the Yampa through Dinosaur. The Yampa is more scenic in terms of photography, having slickrock sandstone walls in places, and one wall called Tiger Wall that actually overhangs the river a bit. Tiger Wall has a lot of desert varnish on it as well which is photographed as you drift by. Fortunately the river is quite mellow at that point as well. The Green has a more open feel with sagebrush covered slopes between river and the actual canyon walls. The Green has one Class 4 rapid called Hell's Half Mile, which I would rank only a 3+ at best. The Yampa has one Class 4 rapid that can be dangerous at fairly high levels if you go in the one hole that gives it its Class 4 rating. Experienced rafters and kayakers have no problem with the hole, but inexperienced boaters could have problems. Both rivers are best in June in terms of good whitewater, once July hits the levels are usually low,and in August only the Green will have enough water since that is dam controlled. The Yampa is the last free flowing major river in Colorado, so unless there are periods of extensive rain in its watershed, August is usually too low to raft.

For quick access to camera gear a Pelican box, or similar, is a good solution( just be sure to keep sand and grit away from the O-seals. A soft sided solution would be a Watershed bag, which uses a zip-lock-on-steroids type closure, but this would be more suited towards 1 camera+attached lens as opposed to having multiple lenses in one bag. The typical Bill's Bag provided by outfitters is fine for clothes or camera gear packed in a camera bag. These types of bags can leak some small amounts of water in certain situations which can easily be defended against by using a good sized towel as the last item placed in the bag before rolling down the enclosure. Bill's Bags are the least accessible style bag and should only be used for gear that will be used once you stop at a campsite.
$500.00 per person is a good price assuming they are providing the meals. This might also get you some camping gear, but personally, you may prefer to take your own sleeping bag, tent, etc. If you're going in early June, a wet suit or dry suit may be in order, since a day in the 50's can be quite uncomfortable when you're wet, and some outfitters will provide you with a wet suit for a fee.

Grant: This sounds like fun...I would be more interested in August...to go on a raft trip I don't need rapids or a thrill ride...plus it's a better time. I've been on one raft trip on the Colorado from Moab to Lake Powell for five days, and it was fantastic even with the class V rapids...but the rafts were 36 ft. long so it wasn't too bad...but just floating through the canyon peacefully was a pleasure. I would love to see Dinosaur. I looked at the site, and was just wondering if they do provide camping gear? Oh, and for anyone reading this...Lowe Pro makes Dryzone gear for camera equipment that worked for me.

Cynthia
www.geolightphoto.com

Sounds like fun. I've only been on the Green for a 1 day trip through Dinosaur, many moons ago.

I'd like to join you on this trip, but it would have to be in August.
I'll keep my plans open until you can pick a time.

Thanks for the info, Don! That helps. Cynthia, you do have to bring your own camping gear. Or you can rent it from them.

I think I'll tentatively plan this trip for Aug. 8-11. I'll call the rafting company Monday to see if these dates are open and get more info. I'll post a separate thread on this with the updated info.

We'd be interested in going as well. The August dates would work for us.