Packrafting Utah | Spring 2019
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- See more: www.danransom.c...
Utah’s desert rivers are notoriously fickle, and conditions have to be just right for boatable flows. And the window is usually incredibly short.
But that’s exactly what made spring of 2019 so special. The rivers ran, and ran for months, because of a variety of unusual conditions. Snowpack in Utah was late to start building, but by February storms were massive and frequent, especially in the southern half of the state. Some drainages reported over 180% of average snow water equivalent. Combined with an abnormally cold and wet April and May that kept hard freezing at elevation and the snowpack would feed the ephemeral desert Utah rivers all the way through June. We got our first river in March on the backend of a pretty big spring storm, and paddled all the way through summer solstice and more.
I’ve owned a packraft now for a decade, and I can never remember a spring season like this.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I distinctly remember watching this for the first time back in 2019. It was the first time I saw what packrafting was really all about...5 years later I've finally gotten into packrafting properly, and I can't wait to start ticking a few of these! This video has me just as psyched as it did the first time I watched it 😃
PS: Also just got one of your bowbags for christmas, it's a great piece of gear!!
Thanks Carl, I appreciate that a lot! I've been watching this video a lot lately too. My main partner in this video passed away in October, I'm super glad I have some of these awesome videos to remember him. He'd be pumped to know this was still spreading some stoke!
That's some outstanding scenery there! Just shows that some of the best trips don't need class 5 rapids to be memorable. And I loved the driftwood lodged about 20' up at 3:05! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome work Dan. The finest desert packrafting stoke reel ever made. Cheers 👍👍
Amen.
A great video. What beautiful scenery to enjoy. Thanks.
Great video, loved that custom gopro mount up high from behind! Subbed to catch the next adventure!
Thanks Eric!
Absolutely crazy beautiful from start to finish. Even more respect since my Virgin River experience!
A fantastic adventure in a beautiful landscape.
I'm a passionate kayaker myself. Unfortunately, all rivers for hydropower in Germany were destroyed.
Protect your rivers.
Best regards
Momo
Wunderschöne Tour. Einfach ein Traum.
What a great video! Thanks from Sweden!
sweet. Bet you could still get the black boxes at lower flows on the way down too.
Amazing video man!
Landscape and rock formations make it feel like you’re expecting a pterodactyl to fly over at any point
Awesome scenery, lovely well cut vid.
But surely sd be in helmets @ 1:54?
Fantastic! Congratulations...!
Nice edit!
So great!!!
Awesome 👏
Seems like 2019 was the perfect year for the Escalante river flow. I heard that it’s not usually how it is...
Yeah, the Escalante is the hardest of all to predict if you want anything resembling real whitewater. We ran it once in May and it was ankle deep, and then went back again in June when we heard it was ripping. Without actual reliable gauges it's just a matter of getting lucky. The other trick of the Escalante is that spring storms can make high water in a matter of hours, and people who think it's only ankle deep can get in real deep trouble really fast too. She's a wild one.
Dan Ransom Thanks for the info. I’m trying to plan a packraft trip next year for backpacking in from one of the gulches/canyons in Escalante (further south of Stevens Arch) and paddling into the water to explore Lake Powell and then back out. Is that something doable from year to year, or does that also depend on the flow of Escalante?
@@tsizzle Depends on what the lake level is. Next year, with how little the reservoir went up this season, I'm guessing you'll need some flow in the escalante to get below Stevens in the main arm. Side canyons to the lake are usually good no matter what, main factor is how far away the lake actually is when it has dropped. Stuff like 40, 50, and Davis people do year round seems like. But I haven't done them so not speaking from experience.
This viewpoint on the packraft and paddler from the back is sick, how do you achieve it?
It requires a mast to be attached to the back of the packraft. I've tried a few variations modifying the boat to attach a mast, but because the boat isn't rigid, it tends to shake pretty badly. Also rather dangerous in a swim, so I only use it on moderate rivers where a swim wouldn't be too serious.
Are some of those shots taken on the Pariah? I recognise a few of the spots--but never seen them under so much water. And a lot of shots are in the Zion Narrows, right?
None from the Paria, a few from Zion for sure.
Sweet video. I''m hoping that this spring is similar... snowpack levels down south are way above average this year. It looked like there was an Alpacka Caribou in some of the shots - I just bought a Caribou myself this month. Have you experienced any durability issues with the thinner fabric of the Caribou compared to the other rafts, particularly with the sandstone of the desert rivers?
Hey Aaron, yeah this year is off to a good start! The caribou is definitely not as durable, but it is pretty high volume and drafts high in the water so it doesn't take as much abuse as say a scout or smaller classic model. Definitely don't want to hit too many sharp rocks with it, but it can handle a lot of the classic desert whitewater in Utah.
@@DanRansom Awesome Dan, thanks for getting back to me. I'll keep an eye out for those sharp, pointy rocks. :). Lemme know if you want to do any packrafting this spring/summer. I'm new to packrafts, but have a lot of backcountry experience otherwise and am pretty comfortable on rivers class 3 or less.
Amazing video Dan! Help me out I don't recognize all of the places featured. I think I see North Fork of the Virgin, Escalante and Little Grand Canyon. Am I right? Where else did you go?
I'm pretty sure the chute of muddy creek was in there to
Ah yeah.
wonderful!
Ohhhhh 👏👏👏👏👏
which are the cameras that use?thanks you
How did you set up your camera on your raft to get those 3rd person shots?
Awesome video! Those are some good looking rapids... Is any of this footage from the Escalante?
Yes 1:40 is Scorpion. Bunch of other scenes too.
What did you film this with?
Gopro, iPhone, GH5