Dolores

 With the Dolores flowing again this year due to a massive snowpack, i, like many others, jumped at the opportunity to get on it! below is a non-chronological account of some of my experiences

McPhee dam to Bradfield

There is minimal information on this section, BUT there is a road that parallels it the whole way! A brief line in a guidebook suggested CL1+, and because we had changed plans a few times this was an easy way to extend a trip. We drove up and put in at a dispersed camping site about as close to the dam as is legal. Even this close to the dam, the water was cloudy suggesting that the reservoir had experienced a truely outstanding runoff season. The float down to Bradfield was easy and straightforward. No cross-river hazards but a few sections that the trees were hanging well into the river course. Despite years of almost non-existant flows, the river corridor looked surprisingly healthy. This was definitely the least scenic section of river i did this year, in a sloping gorge with little exposed rock, but was still well worth doing at least once. After about 13 miles  and ~2 hours of moderately fast, splashy CL1+/2- water we returned to the bradfield bridge.

A common view in the Dolores Gorge below the dam

Bradfield to Dove Creek

By far my facorite secton of the Dolores, and possibly the best Cl2+ run i have done yet, this section was stunning. There is a lot of information on this section out there already. My experience was about 7 miles of mediocore canyon and relatively flat water that abruptly changed to continuous wave trains, 2+ rapids, and absolutely amazing rock walls in a deep gorge lined by gorgeous ponderosas, everything that i love. It was almost too much fun. I wouldnt heasitate to return when this section flows again. We stayed the night at the Box Elder Campground. What a place! It took us ~3 hours to continue downstream from Bradfield to take out at the campground with flows at ~1200.

Taking a breather and grabbing some snacks in between wave trains in the Ponderosa Gorge section

Slickrock to Bedrock

I ran this as a multiple night overnight trip. At the time, the slickrock boatramp was closed, but one advantage of packrafts is you can get in and out wherever it is public land. I found a spot a few mile supstream that was BLM and put in there with Davis and Jennifer. We took 1 night to float from slickrock to Gypsum (only about 4 total floating hours at ~2200 cfs). The section was scenic if relatively flat, with some private land, signs of past uranium mining use, and the usual desert rock layers. This section definitely sees less traffic than up or downstream sections, and many of the campsites had overgrown landings and were starting to be reclaimed by invasives. While exploring around camp, i even found an old microblade, who knows how long it had been there and if anyone else had found it, but with habitation in the area dating back thousands of years it could very well be wuite old. It was a nice warm up section with a roadside CL2 just above the boatramp. Our layover at the boatramp (which was expected to be ~a few hours) ended up lasting the night. Expecting Lindsay and some other friends who would be in a 16ft raft to meet us by early afternoon, we set up under one of the shade structures and waited... and waited... and waited. Eventually around 4-5 pm lindsay showed up but without out other friends and the boats. I guess they had taken some dirt road (instead of the easy highway, for some reason) and had to backtrack. They eventually showed up around last light. I was a bit frustrated, but i guess i should have been more explicit in trip planning and specified driving routes to take more clearly. 

We put in at gypsum the following morning in between many other groups, including a large group of packrafters. Once in the canyon, however, our frustration melted away. The canyon was beautiful, narrow, and what i would describe as the epitome of an easy and scenic desert river trip complete with sweeping views, red rock, a thin strip of green around the river, and signs of past inhabitants. We topped about 2/3rds of the way through to camp. Not one to just sit around all day, Lindsay and i went up a steep drainage behind camp to see if we could make it to the rim. We didnt, but we did make it to a high point. The view from above is almost always worth the effort. On the way back down we even found an arrowhead!

Of note, the guidebooks mentioned this section as having a few CL3 rapids and many CL2s. We saw nothing harder than an easy CL2, certainly much easier than the Ponderosa gorge section. Worth the trip regardless though. 

Rico to Dolores

For the first weekend in June, Lindsay, Andrew and I were originally planning on floating Bradfield all the way to slickrock, however the morning of the trip Lindsay wasnt feeling up to it. Instead, Andrew and i called an audible, continued with the trip but did the alpine section above Mcphee instead. There is a bit of info out there on this section but it is generally limited to just the Stoner section around Stoner, Co. 

Andrew and i met up in Dolores, dropped a car (noting that we would coincidentally be in town for Dolores River Fest if we made good time) and drove up to Rico where we would put in, scouting along the way. In Rico, it was rainy and cold and almost dinner time so we of course went to the bar to grab some food before heading out. By the time we started out, the sun had re-emerged and we could soak in the beautiful mountian views. A short ~10 mile float (about an hour) took us to a campsite for the night. It was a bit strange doing a long roadside section where we camped at a dispersed car camp site. The upper section was fun, very fast, with a short bedrock box canyon section, and super senic. 

The next morning we started early and got right in to the fast clear and COLD water. After a quick snack break at the usual daily put in (bear creek bridge) we hit the main event rapids of the upper dolores, the "stoner section" The surf waves were super fun, among the biggest waves i have boated yet. Shortly after there was a significant diversion dam that we had identified as the main hazard, but was reasonably run on far river left. Downstream the river generally eased but the large wavetrains continued all the way into town. In town we showed up to the river fest in full swing, dried out our gear and went over to enjoy the music, grab some food and beers. Pretty good for a super last minute change in plans! The whole section could likely be done in a long day (something close to 40 miles?) with 800 on the guage in Rico and 2000 on the guage in Dolores. 

Some river shots courtesy of andrew's go pro

AKP to BTT Part 4: Koyukuk and Out

 It has been almost a year since we set off for this trip. It is hard to believe that this trip is so quickly becoming just a memory, although one that i hope to build on as soon as i can. As i reflect, it is hard to bring experiences like this to words. When i think back, i feel the cold water, the midnight sun, the strong wind, the tired legs from hours and days of bushwhacking with heavy packs, the joy of being in a beautiful place, and the bittersweet satisfaction of getting on the plane and going home. The main thing i have to say about this experience is that writing about it does not do justice, one must go and experience, be surrounded and engulfed by the wilderness in order to understand. 

We met the koyukuk in a grey haze. Not sure if this was due to wildfires that we would later learn were in the area, or if it was due to weather, the haze clouded some of our views, and we only briefly glimpsed the namesake of the park, the Gates of the Arctic, several miles upstream from where we were on the koyukuk. 

Koyukuk on the Left, Tinayguk on the Right, Andrew down the Middle

From here on out, we knew the trip would be a breeze, and towards the end of this section i was yearning for the rugged mountains and tough travel that we were leaving behind. The river generally got wider, flatter, easier. The campsites, more obvious and abundant, were showing signs of human traffic. The climate was changing as we moved south, away from the arctic and into the subarctic. We saw more birds, beavers, and, intereatingly, more riverside geology. As we left the Brooks behind and entered the Koyukuk-Yukon flats river travel became more about paddling than about running rapids, and before we knew it, we rounded a bend to be greeted by housing, the first major sign of civilization besides planes that we had seen since leaving Anaktuvuk. 

Soem excellent Chevron Folding in the Koyukuk flats

I dont mean to say, however, that the final ~week of the trip was without incident. One evening at camp the innernet for our tent popped a hole and the mosquitos started streaming in as we were bedding down. An hour later with several patching methods and some sewing (i knew i threw that in the kit for a reason!), though, we were back to being separated from the outside world by a thin mesh, thats all it takes. 

Our last camp in the Brooks

Enjoying pancakes at the crack of Noon

Some days later, at a site that had been recently used for camping on a gravel bar, while trying to get to sleep in the midnight sun, i heard some rustling that i first attributed to a sleeping andrew. the sound quickly moved and i knew something was outside. I was the only one still awake, and, after grabbing glasses and throwing on some sandles, i emerged to see a wolf staring back at me, maybe 15 feet away, with our water filter in his mouth. This young wolf, apparently looking for food, had managed to get under andrews deck bag and extract the filter. Without words, the wolf stared at me and said

"This is mine now, what are you going to do about it? Do something i dare you"

Lindsay and andrew awoke to me screaming at the wolf, trying to simultaneously scare it away and get it to drop the filter. We were only a day out from bettles at this point so the filter wasnt vital (we had other purifying methods) but was definitely a comfort item. 

Lindsay, in her groggy startled state, yelled at me to go after it "We NEED THAT!", so, with a paddle in one had for defense, and bear spray in the other hand, i walked off into the brush where the wolf had disappeared. 

The water filter, post recovery from our thieving wolf friend.

Our Wolf Friends prints. 

Within a few minutes, i had found the filter. The wolf, after deciding that this was neither food nor a good chew toy, had droped everything and left. After gathering the pieces  i returned as Lindsay and Andrew began their search for the filter. Lindsay had apparently taken the safety off her spray though, and accidentally set the can off a bit as we walked together back to the tent. I can only describe what came out of the can as a dark redness from the depths of hell, something out of a movie. Luckily it only really got on one of the paddles and we were fine, and had recovered the (mostly) undamaged filter as well! The Intake hose had been cut up by the wolf so from there on, filtering required sitting in the water, and from the back gave the appearance of someone enjoying some self-pleasure in the water...

The final campsite of the trip, Bettles is over the low ridge in the background. 

In bettles, we began the process of re-integration. We cleaned up, did laundry, repacked gear, checked out the visitors center (and wrote our stories in to the log books), sent some mail from the post office (whose temporary hours had been posted on cardboard back in 2006, maybe not so temporary after all) and got a hot meal at the Bettles Lodge. That night, we experienced darkness that could almost be called night for the first time in weeks. It was a trip that is memorable for so many reasons, and i cant wait to return. 

Back in fairbanks, we took a few side trips to do a bit more water sampling on other rivers that had not yet been sampled. I needed an excuse to make the trip, and then to make it longer, taking water samples for resource management (with Adventure Scientists) was an easy excuse and well worth the extra weight and effort.

Enjoying the Evening on the Koyukuk

The sun has almost set! Taken shortly after midnight, south of the brooks range

Lazy floating on open water

Dinner and the first cold beer (or drink of any sort) in weeks

We made it to the Visitors Center!

Post Trip Picture at the takeout beach.