All on-river meals are provided, beginning with lunch the first day and ending with lunch the last day. The food is fresh and hearty and the guides will prepare it for you while you enjoy the homey atmosphere generated around each river camp. You can set up your tent or go for an evening walk, relax, read, or join the guides in the kitchen if you so desire.
A typical two day menu may include as a main course BBQ steak, baked fish, BBQ chicken, pork chops and dumplings, combination entrees, fresh vegetables and salads, Dutch-oven desserts or breads, hors d'oeuvres, fresh fruits, fruit juices, coffee, tea and a complimentary glass of wine with dinner.
Lunches are buffet style with a wide variety of salads, sandwiches, fruit, cheeses, sliced meats, nuts, juices or sodas.
Breakfast includes fruit juice, eggs in all styles, special pancakes, French toast, melons, fruit, cereals with milk, sausage, bacon, coffee, tea or hot chocolate. We can accommodate special diets with advance notice and almost always the menu suits the vegetarian.
Although we carry ample supplies of juices, coffee, tea and hot chocolate we encourage you to bring extra soda, beer, wine or other beverages you may prefer. You can arrange for us to pick up specific beverages for you prior to the trip or you can stock up before we head to the river. Any liquids you bring must be in unbreakable containers, limited to one case per person.
ALCOHOL
You're welcome to bring alcohol as long as it is in unbreakable containers. Discretion in alcohol consumption during whitewater days is strongly advised. If you would like us to pick up a particular beer and bring it to the river, please let us know and payment can be made for your purchase at the river put-in with your Trip Leader.

Additional cash requirements:

You will need to arrange all pre and post lodging and meals before and after your trip. Gratuities are not included in the trip cost. You will not require any monies during your trip. Valuables should be stored in the safe at your lodging or you can keep valuables in the waterproof bag provided by Dvoraks. A small amount of money maybe needed during shuttle for snacks at the end of trip.

"THE BABY GRAND"

 It is a hidden jewel, off the beaten path, tucked deep in steep granite walls. The Gunnison River is a sportsman's and paddler's paradise. The clear, cold waters of the Gunnison have been designated a Gold Medal Trout Fishery. Its narrow river corridor creates exciting whitewater action on a river that has been included into the National Park System in 2003. Accessible only by foot or horseback, the Gunnison Gorge is a wilderness canyon for those who are willing to literally go the extra mile. A trip to the canyon floor requires a hike of one mile down a steep trail. Guests are expected to carry their personal gear in back packs provided by Dvoraks. With every step, the wilderness feeling deepens. The solitude and scenery found at the canyon floor make the hike down worth every step. Enter the wilderness world of the Gunnison Gorge for a trip of one to three days.

Our guides are experienced men and women skilled at handling their craft. They all have current first aid, CPR and Swiftwater Rescue training and have fulfilled guide qualification requirements in the states of Colorado, Utah, Texas and New Mexico. Trip Leaders have thousands of river miles of experience on all classes of rivers including all those Dvorak Expeditions run.

PRE- AND POST-TRIP ARRANGEMENTS

The meeting place for a Gunnison Gorge trip is the Gunnison Forks Pleasure Park (this is the finish point of the trip). This is midway between Hotchkiss and Delta, Colorado. Travel 14 miles east on Hwy. #92 coming from Hotchkiss. Look for the Gunnison Forks sign on the south side of the road and follow the dirt road south near this sign one mile to the Pleasure Park.
You will rendezvous with your guide at approximately 8:00 a.m. on the morning of the first day of your trip. Meet in the parking lot behind the kiosk. Your guide will provide you with a small 14" diameter by 22" high waterproof bag (backpack straps attached) to transfer your overnight gear into. You will carry your bag, along with your life jacket and any fishing gear you bring, down into the Gorge. This is a hike of one mile which drops over 2,000 feet and usually takes 25 - 35 minutes. Weather is usually hot and we carry drinking water for hiking.
Your vehicle will be left at the Pleasure Park and monitored by the people who operate this establishment. We will be taking out on the beach about 100 yards from the parking lot mid- to late afternoon on the last day of your trip.
Our 4 wheel drive takes about 1½ hours from the Pleasure Park to the trail head into the Gunnison Gorge. An additional hour is generally required to hike down to the river, rig the remaining gear to boats and do the safety and environmental orientation of the Gunnison Gorge.
Lunch is usually 1 - 2 miles down stream between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. therefore plan on eating a hearty breakfast before your morning meeting time. Food is available at the Pleasure Park Kiosk. They have flies, lures and miscellaneous fishing tackle, as well as an assortment of pop and beer.

GETTING TO THE GUNNISON GORGE

BY PLANE: Fly into Montrose for pick up at lodge or airport. (See details on confirmation letter). Or Fly into Grand Junction, Colorado (served by United, Maverick and other airlines) and rent a car for the 1½ hour drive to the Gunnison Forks Pleasure Park. Take Hwy. #50 south 50 miles to Delta, then east on Hwy. #92, 14 miles to the Gunnison Forks turn off.
Alternately fly into Denver (served by most major airlines) and rent a car for the 4½ hour drive to the Gunnison Forks rendezvous. Take Interstate #70 west to Glenwood Springs. Turn south on Hwy. #82 and go 12 miles to Carbondale, then southwest 60 miles on Hwy. #33 to Hotchkiss. Continue on for 6 miles on Hwy. #92 to the Gunnison Forks turn off.

BY CAR: From the North: Follow directions for air travelers from either Grand Junction or Denver.
From the South: Take Hwy. #50 north from Montrose 20 miles to Delta, then Hwy. #92 east 14 miles to the Gunnison Forks turn off.

SHUTTLE: A round trip van shuttle is available for groups from Grand Junction - request rates.

ACCOMMODATIONS
We recommend the following for pre and post trip

Grand Vista Hotel
752 Horizon Drive
Grand Junction, Co 81506
(800) 800-7796 or
(970)241-1077

Gunnison River Pleasure Park
(970) 872-2525
Camping and Cabins at the finish point and meeting location for your Gunnsion River trip.

Best Western Red Arrow Motel
1702 E. Main St. (Highway 50)
Montrose, CO 81401
(800) 468-9323 or
(970) 249-9641

Hotchkiss Inn
406 Highway 143
Hotchkiss, Co 81419
(970)872-2200

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AT TRIP'S END

You will arrive back at your vehicle at the Gunnison Forks Pleasure Park mid to late afternoon of the last day of your trip.
Although you can usually make a connecting flight home from Grand Junction after 7:00 p.m. on the last day of the trip, we recommend you fly out the following morning in case inclement weather or other circumstances delays your arrival in Denver. Remember, "River Time" is unpredictable.