Summary

3 day Mild to Wild

Prices From	USD$ $649.00
1st Departure	05.05.2012
Provider	Arkansas Valley Adventures
Destination	Arkansas River
Duration	3 days
Challenge	Advanced
Avg Rating	Not Rated

3 days, 2 nights, Advanced+ Class V. The ultimate overnight experience in Colorado! Your first two days are full of Class III whitewater fun. The first night you'll camp in the majestic and remote Brown's Canyon while your guides prepare a gourmet dinner for you. Hiking and fishing options abound at camp, or just relax under the stars. 
Wake up to a delicious breakfast and raft the rest of the canyon through rapids like Zoom Flume, the Seven Stairs and Seidel's Suckhole. Halfway through the day, take a break as your guides prepare a riverside lunch for you. After Lunch you'll jump into Inflatable Kayaks (duckies) and paddle them to the take out. At the end of your second day on the river, we'll pick you up and drive you further north upstream to another riverside camp. But wait--the fun's not over! Spend the remainder of the afternoon rock climbing and rappelling riverside in Granite Gorge. No experience necessary; we'll teach you all you need to know.  
On the third morning, after a hearty breakfast, prepare to run the most exhilarating whitewater on the Arkansas, the Class IV & V Pine Creek and the Numbers-also known as "The Gauntlet!" But first you'll rappel from your camp down into Granite Gorge, where you'll meet your rafts for this incredible day. 
This trip provides the perfect progression from intermediate to the most advanced whitewater. We take care of all the details; all you need to bring is your sleeping bag. Minimum age 15 yrs. (AVA reserves the right to change age requirements depending on water levels and individual qualifications.)
Meals included:
<UL type=circle>
<LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Day 1: Lunch and Dinner 
<LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Day 2: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 
<LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Day 3: Breakfast Lunch</LI></UL>Get <A href="http://www.adventurecentral.com/travel/MapLocation.aspx?lat=39.00424&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lng=-106.24123&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;name=Granite%20Outpost&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;addr=40671%20U.S.%20Hwy%2024%20N&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;addr2=Buena%20Vista,%20CO%2081211%2081211%20USA">DRIVING DIRECTIONS</A> for this trip.

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive at the AVA Outpost, where you will be greeted by our friendly office staff. You will let us know you've arrived, take care of any outstanding financial matters, and sign waivers (**NOTE: if you are bringing children under 18 who are not your children, please make sure to bring waivers signed by their parents! You may not sign for them.). You will then meet your guides, who will provide you with a dry bag for packing all of your personal gear and will help you decide what you should take with you for your overnight trip. You'll also receive wetsuits and splash jackets (if the weather warrants their use), life jackets and helmets. You'll have some time to finish your packing and to change into the clothes you want to wear on the river. Before we go you'll lock any other belongings—such as wallets and valuables—away in your vehicle and leave the keys with the office. Take Me to the River It's time to go to the river! You'll load up on a van or bus and we'll drive to the river, where your guides will give you a thorough safety talk. Then you'll get into the boat, pick up a paddle and listen to your guide give you some paddling instruction. Before you know it, you'll be heading right into the whitewater of the Narrows, a granite gorge filled with continuous Class III fun. Views of the Arkansas Valley –lined with 14,000-foot peaks—highlight your day. Splash and laugh your way through the rapids—you'll be amazed at the thrill from working as a team to tackle the rapids. Halfway through the day, you'll stop to have a hot lunch riverside prepared by your guides. A gear boat will head separately to camp with your belongings, where the guide will start setting up and preparing for you to arrive. Your Home Away from Home Arrive at your home for the night in Brown's Canyon, where no roads interrupt the peace of this riverside camp. Your guides will start preparing dinner while you hike, fish or just relax and enjoy the scenery (don't forget your Colorado Fishing License if you're going to fish!). Sleep soundly with only the noise of the river to lull you. In the morning, your guides will fuel you up with fresh coffee and a hearty breakfast before setting out for more whitewater fun.

Day 2

Into the Canyon The next part of your trip goes through Brown's Canyon, where you'll blast through the whitewater of more than 10 Class III rapids. The granite walls, birdlife, and mountain peaks of Brown's Canyon—a Wilderness Study Area—are worth the trip alone. Leave the chaos at home as you explore this remote canyon with very little road access. Halfway through the day, take a break as your guides prepare a riverside lunch for you. After Lunch you'll jump in Inflatable Kayaks (duckies) and paddle them to the take out. At the end of your second day on the river, we'll pick you up and drive you further north upstream to another riverside camp. But wait--the fun's not over! Spend the remainder of the afternoon rock climbing and rappelling riverside in Granite Gorge. No experience necessary; we'll teach you all you need to know. Another Night Under the Stars Your camp for the night is also at Granite Gorge, where you'll enjoy another evening of relaxation as your guides prepare a fresh and delicious dinner to satisfy the appetite you've worked up.

Day 3

Enter the Gauntlet (Rappel Into It!) Experience true Rocky Mountain adventure! After filling up on a hot breakfast, get ready to tackle the most advanced whitewater on the Arkansas River. From your camp, rappel into Granite Gorge, where your rafts and guides will be waiting for you. You'll warm up in the Class III & IV rapids of Granite Gorge before entering the Class V Pine Creek, followed by the continuous Class IV rapids of the Numbers. A gourmet lunch riverside complements this amazing whitewater day. The perfect 3-day progression from intermediate to advanced whitewater! The Post-trip Review When you arrive back at the AVA Outpost, change into your dry clothes and come inside to check out the hilarious and action-packed photos from the day. After viewing your digital photos on wall-mounted screens, you'll have an opportunity to have them printed right there at our office or to have them burned to a disc to take home and print out yourself. Our retail shop has tons of AVA and rafting paraphernalia for your shopping pleasure, from t-shirts and hats to picture frames and coffee mugs.

Waivers

Once you arrive at our outpost, check in with our friendly office staff and sign liability waivers.   You can also <A href="http://www.coloradorafting.net/files/pdfs/65f5b6a2-22ca-4c1f-af21-bbe15a5ffd91.pdf">download</A> and print your waivers in advance.   If anyone in your group is under 18 years old and will not be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, they will need to get their waiver signed in advance and bring it with them the day of the trip.

Gear List

AVA provides wetsuits and splash jackets free of charge if the weather warrants their use. Wearing a wetsuit is often not necessary; they are most often needed early season, if the weather is rainy, and for or our Class IV-V trips. For overnight trips, we highly recommend you bring additional synthetic layers (as described below) to wear on the river in case we get a change of weather. Please also bring the following with you: <UL type=circle> <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Footwear: Bring shoes that stay securely on your feet and can get wet. Tennis shoes, sport sandals (that strap on) or water shoes all work very well. NO FLIP-FLOPS AND NO CROCS ALLOWED on the river. AVA does not have booties for rent, however we do sell water shoes in our retail store at the AVA Outpost and at the Clear Creek office. </LI> <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Swimsuit to wear under wetsuit Sunglasses and strap to secure glasses </LI> <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Sunscreen and lip balm with sunscreen </LI> <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Additional Layers: Lightweight, quick-drying clothing. If you don't want to wear a wetsuit (much of the summer it is too hot to wear one), please bring swimsuits and quick-drying shorts (nylon, etc) to wear. Fleece, polypropylene or other synthetic base layers (i.e. a Dri-fit shirt) are great additional layers in case we have cold or rainy weather. These materials insulate you and keep you warm when you're wet. We recommend that you DO NOT wear cotton on the river. It stays wet and makes you colder. Save the cotton clothing to change into after your trip. </LI> <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Water Bottle</LI></UL>

We provide tents, sleeping pads, camp chairs and all the setup for meals at camp. We also provide you a waterproof bag to pack your belongings in. You should bring the following for camp: Necessary: <UL type=circle> <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Sleeping bag (available for rent if arranged ahead of time) <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Dry change of clothes: shorts, long pants, warm layers such as fleece or a sweater) <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Comfortable shoes for camp (different from the ones you will wear on the river) <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Rain jacket <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Warm hat (synthetic or wool) <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Warm socks (synthetic or wool) <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Flashlight <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Personal toiletries (toothbrush, biodegradable soap, towel, etc)</LI></UL> Suggested: <UL type=circle> <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Things to play with, such as a Frisbee <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Fishing pole (don't forget you need a fishing license!) <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Bug repellant <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Extra beverages (no glass please)</LI> <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Money for souvenirs or to tip your guide.  Rafting is a service industry; gratuities are not expected, but they are appreciated! </LI></UL> Meals Included: <UL type=circle> <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Day 1: Lunch, Dinner <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Day 2: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner <LI style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Day 3: Breakfast, Lunch</LI></UL>

Travel Information

Activity Location

Granite Outpost
40671 U.S. Hwy 24 N
Buena Vista, CO 81211 81211 USA