UPDATED - Dinosaur Rafting Trip - UPDATED 5/21

5/21 Update

For those interested in the Dinosaur National Monument raft trip, I need to collect a $100 deposit per person. If you later decide you can't make it, the deposit will be refundable as long as the group size doesn't fall below ten. You should make a check out to "Eagle Outdoor Sports." Mail to to me at:

Grant Collier
451 Wright St. #15
Lakewood, CO 80228

In order to get the group discount, Rex at Eagle Outdoor Sports wants to handle everything through me. So I'll forward the checks onto him once I receive all of them. The remaining balance of $275 or $300 will be due two weeks before the trip.

Please include your email address with the payment (or send me an email to let me know your address). I will start sending emails with more info on the trip to people who have paid the deposit.

If you haven't already expressed interest in the trip but would like to join, please post on this thread BEFORE sending a deposit. I will confirm that there is still space available and you can then send the deposit.

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4/23 Update

I've talked to Eagle Outdoor Sports. They have been able to get the August 6-9 launch date. One thing I found out is that all the boats are paddle boats, meaning everyone is supposed to share in the paddling. This is an issue for me, as I've had back surgery and would be unable to paddle much if any. But there's 6-8 people per raft and four people need to paddle. So I need to find out from everyone attending how much they would be able to paddle: most of the time, some of the time, or hardly any of the time. We'll be on the water about 5 hours per day, but since it's a private group, we can stop a lot to rest / take photos if necessary. There's other outfitters with oar boats, where you don't have to paddle, but this would cost about twice as much.

If everyone attending can reply on this thread, I'd appreciate it. You can still email me privately if you prefer, but it would make it easier for me to have everything here. If you're not a member, you can get register for free and post messages.

I'll post more on the deposit, etc. later. It looks like the deposit is just $50/person.

Thanks!

Grant
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I've contact Eagle Outdoor Sports about the Dinosaur National Monument trip down the Green River. It sounds like this is a fairly easy Class III river, so fear of white water shouldn't be a problem. There's four possible dates. June 29 is open and June 19 might be open, though another group may be taking this slot. For the August dates they would have to trade launch dates with another outfitter, though they think they should be able to. So the open dates are:

possibly June 19-22
definitely June 29-July 2
possibly Aug 6-9
possibly Aug 13-16

In order for this to be a private group of just photographers, I need to get at least 8 people together. If we get at least 10 people, we can get a group discount of $100 per person, so the total for four days, meals included, is: $400 (subtract $25 if we do the car shuttle ourselves). If we can't get 8 together, we can still do this trip with other non-photographers along. But we may not be able to stop and shoot as much as we'd like.

What I need from anyone who may be interested in this, is a YES, NO, or MAYBE on each of the four dates above. I'm a "yes" for all four dates.

I'll try and post this on other forums as well. If anyone has suggestions on other forums to post this to, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

My availability:
- NO - June 19-22
- NO - June 29-July 2
- YES - Aug 6-9
- YES - Aug 13-16

Are you open for other - non photographer - family members on the trip ?
I also have a few photography friends that I will ask - but just book me alone, for now.

Thanks for trying to organize this.

Definitely open for other non-photographers on the trip, just as long as they understand we may stop to take photos a lot. I will invite a couple people who are't into photography myself.

Drat. I've pretty much scheduled all my vacation time this year already. This sounds like fun and productive at the same time...

The dates I would be up for:
June 19-22 -- Yes
June 29-July 2 -- No
Aug 6-9 -- Yes
Aug 13-16 -- No -- I have concert tix at Red Rocks on the 17th

June 19-22
June 29-July 2
Aug 6-9 YES
Aug 13-16 YES

Also I have a couple photographer friends who live in California that may be interested...but it would probably have to be August for them as well.

Cynthia

Just received an email from the California friends...they are interested for Aug 6-9, and possibly the other Aug date....they like the idea of a small group of photogs so the trip can be more dictated/organized by the photographers around the "good light" times.

Great! We're up to 7 for Aug. 6-9, including someone who emailed me. And there's a few others who expressed interest on the first thread. I'll contact the rafting company Monday to see if they can get this launch date.

Grant:
The August 6-9 dates work for us as well as the 13 - 16. (We are the 2 Californians that Cynthia referred to above.)
Thanks for organizing this.

Holly

Grant,
My wife and I would both like to go on this raft trip (2 people).
June 19-22: Yes
June 29- July 2 Maybe
Aug 6-9 Yes
Aug 13-19 Yes

Dave Gill

We're now up to 10 for Aug 6-9, including 2 who've emailed me. I've contacted the rafting company to see if they can get these dates and will post any updates here.

In case you haven't seen it, the 4/23 update is at the top of the page.

I'm still available for those dates & can paddle full time, so that you can take pictures.

Were do they put-in for this trip? Flaming Gorge ??

Paddling isn't an issue for me and I'd be willing to paddle most of the time.

What are the limitations on what we bring for camping equipment, camara gear, etc.

Dave

Hi Grant...I don't mind paddling...though I've never paddled on a raft trip before. My answer would be "some of the time."

I have no experience either, but wouldnt mind paddling most of the times..

"So I need to find out from everyone attending how much they would be able to paddle...."

I'm happy with paddling, 50% would be good..... JoAnn

Okay, good. It's looking like we'll have enough people to paddle. I'll feel bad not paddling, but I'm sure my vocal chords will get a good workout yelling "Left, Right, Left!" I may try and paddle the last day, but don't want to risk ruining my back before that.

Bill, they put in right before Gates of Lodore and end at Split Mountain ... about 44 miles. Dave, the dry bag is 16"x30". The guide, Rex, said the limit is about 30 lbs., plus any camera gear. Since it's August, he said a light sleeping bag, pad or air mattress, tent, one set of day clothes, and one set of night clothes should suffice. The camera gear should go in a Pelican Case or something similar and there will be a separate area to store this. I plan to take my digital camera & 3 lenses.

I'll post more on all this later and provide an update on the deposit.

Thanks

Why does the scene from Ben Hur where our protagonist is rowing in a Roman Galley come to mind?

Mua-haa-haa-haaa! er...um... I mean, I have no idea what you're talking about

Grant I'm also fine with paddling -- as long as someone will jump in to save me when I fall out!

Grant,
I've only been on one rafting trip and that was on the Arkansas through Brown's Canyon, but paddling wasn't a problem. In the 60's and 70's my wife and I spent a couple of vacations canoe camping in Quebec Province where we periodically had some white water. It was my observation that as long as we were going down a river and not up it against the current paddling was easy except for when we were actually in white water where things did get a bit more interesting.

I think you' will have done your share of work by putting this trip together. Let the rest of us do the paddling and you can give your back a chance to heal. Don't let it bother you.

I have one more friend who wants to come along..hope that works. This guy has done some white water rafting before, so would be good to have some experienced hands..

Thanks, Dave, for the message. I guess the wind can sometimes blow upstream, making paddling a little difficult. But otherwise it's not bad. And yes Anil, that would be fine if your friend comes. I may cap this at about 16 people, as even the guide says he prefers that over larger groups. But right now we're at 11 or 12. So if anyone else wants to join, just post here.

I'll post an update when I know more on the deposit, etc. Right now, though, I think the guide - Rex - is away on another raft trip.

I've posted an updated about the deposit at the top of the page.