Summary
North Platte River - Colo/Wyo - 3 Days
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Prices From
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USD$ $498.00
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1st Departure
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01.01.0001
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Provider
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Dvorak Kayak & Rafting Exp Inc
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Destination
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North Platte River
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Duration
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3 days
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Challenge
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Moderate
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Avg Rating
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Not Rated
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25-35 miles | Class II-IV
The North Platte is a mountain river running clear and cold, flowing north out of Colorado. Set in a narrow canyon at over 8,000 feet, the scenery is ringed by snow-capped mountain ranges. Northgate Canyon is the start of your trip thru intense Class III-IV rapids like Stovepipe, the Wall in the Narrows and Windy Hole. The trout fishing is excellent and a Wyoming fishing license is needed. Because of its remote “Designated Wilderness” setting, the river corridor offers whitewater, solitude, great floating, play boating, and fishing.
*Youth minimum age 10
Itinerary
Arrival at River Put In North Platte
Arrive at put in location (Routt County Launch Site) at 8:30 a.m. Your guides will meet you and issue your dry bags that you can transfer your personal equipment, clothing etc. into. After packing your gear up the guides will load and tie them into the raft. You will be fitted with life jacket, rain jackets and pants and your party will have a safety talk to alert you to the river etiquette, dangers, safety awareness for an enjoyable trip. You will be introduced to your guide and which raft or kayak will be yours for your journey.
Departure for the day will be about 9-9:30 a.m. and the first part of your trip will be through Northgate Canyon Class III-IV. Six miles of numerous rapids with short drops and technical manouvering. Around mid day you will be stopping for a well earned delicious deli style lunch and a break to enjoy the surrounding Pine forested corridor. You will see more wildlife on this river than any other Dvorak's runs. Keep an eye out for the Bald Eagles, Deer, Elk, Coyote, Fox, Beaver, Bear, Cougars all of which have been spotted in year past.
After lunch you will continue downstream to your campsite for the night. This section will be easier to navigate with rapids in the class II-III's. Time for inflatable kayaks to paddle and challenge the beginners. Camp by about 4:30 p.m. and set up tents, set up the kitichen and your guides will be there to assist you in tent set up and camp orientation for toilet arrangments, campfire etc. Perhaps a small hike, game of horseshoes, volleyball or just relax in the quiet of the forest. Dinner is prepared by your crew and served up in time to relax around the fire and visit with other guests. When it gets dark most folks are ready to wander off to bed and don't foreget to look at those stars one more time before you close your eyes. Good night.
Good Morning!
You will have the sound of nature to wake you this morning. That and the smell of fresh coffee and bacon sizzling to bring you to the kitchen for the first time today. Guides will make the call "Coooffeee!" for those who just couldn't seem to wake easily. After breakfast your guides will clean up pack up and reload the rafts with your gear and help you pack up tents etc. Once your personal gear is packed into the dry bags you'll bring them down to the rafts and your trip will launch for day two of your trip. The rapids will be lazier today and the canyon forests will open up to more ranch lands with wide meadows of rolling hills. You will have time to relax and visit your paddling partners and get to know your guides as you can certainly change around to different rafts this day.
We will most likely take in an afternoon hike and perhaps play some river games particularly if we have some "Duckie" joining us on the journey. Arrival to campsite will be later afternoon and we'll of course set up camp and kitchen for your 2nd evening with your new river family. We can swim, perhaps try your hand at fishing for trout and of course another great meal will be in the making for your last night on the river with us. Campfire chat time and you'll not believe the smell of that Dutch Oven Brownies that will come out with whip cream and coffee, tea or a cool drink. Star gazing will now be a game of who can identify the most constellations and then camp will settle down and guests will wonder off to bed to dream of another day ahead of fun and river magic!
Last Day on the River North Platte
Good Morning!
The sound of nature singing birds to wake you this morning. There is that smell of fresh coffee and stawberry pancakes to bring you to the kitchen for the final breakfast. Your chefs call "Coooffeee!" and the day begins. After a slow start day and breakfast your guides will clean up pack up and reload the rafts with your gear and help you pack up tents etc. Once again you'll bring your dry bags down to the rafts and your trip will set off for the final day. The rapids will be lazier today and the canyon forests will open up to more ranch lands with wide meadows of rolling hills. You will have time to relax and visit your paddling partners and get to know your guides as you can certainly change around to different rafts this day. After lunch once again about mid day you will meander down stream to the final take out point where your vehicle will await you or Dvoraks' van will be waiting to return you back to the start point to retreive your vehicle. We can never know what the river will teach us or show us for each trip will open new adventures every time. Thank you for joing Dvorak's on this another Great adventure.
Gear List
THE TRIP PACKAGE
The following are included in your Dvorak Expeditions North Platte trip:
• All boating equipment/life jackets/drinking water
• Pre- and post-trip arrangements as described
• 2 or 3 days of rafting , float fishing or instruction clinic
• All on-river meals (lunch day 1 through lunch last day)
• Rain jacket with pants (PVC)
• Eating utensils, plates, complimentary Dvorak cup
• Waterproof dry bags/containers for personal gear
• 6-man rain tarps for shelter in kitchen area
You are responsible for the following
• Transportation to the arranged meeting point
• Personal clothing and other sundry items
• Transportation at the arranged drop off point
• Pre and post lodging with meals
PERSONAL TRIP EQUIPMENT LIST
Please limit your gear to 30 pounds in weight. It should be able to be packed into standard duffel bag. This list should cover everything for a safe, comfortable trip.
• Compact sleeping bag (not down) with Ensolite pad
• Small backpack style tent w/ fly & ground sheet
• Long john style wetsuit/boots for cold months *
• Long pants (one light weight to block the sun & one warm wool or pile/fleece type*)
• Nylon shorts or swim suit under wetsuit
• Long sleeved shirts (one warm*/one light weight)
• Non cotton shirt or poly propylene top (fleece top)
• Warm jacket*, wind proof or Fleece, water resistant
• Pair of tennis shoes - tie on preferred or wet boots.
• Wool socks will help keep feet warm in tennis shoes
• Sun glasses with loss protector/keeper (with UV protection
• Sun block (over 8,000' altitude - lots of UV exposure)
• Hat for sun protection (tie-on)
• Rain gear is provided unless you want to bring your own
• Small towel / biodegradable soap/shampoo/lotion etc.
• Flashlight and extra batteries with new bulb.
• Bandanna and a pair of lite gloves for sun protection.
• Personal items kit (hygiene) medicines etc.
• Waterproof camera or a very good waterproof case.
• Caution: Bugs can be a nuisance so bring adequate repellant
• EXTRA BEVERAGES - PLASTIC containers of liquor, CANNED beer or wine coolers. An adequate supply of soft drinks is provided. If you prefer diet drinks please request them in advance. Wine is provided with evening meals.
* Can be excluded during warmer weather
RENTALS
TENTS, SLEEPING BAGS & WET SUITS
• $15 Lightweight Sleeping Bag / Ensolite pad
• $25 Three man dome tent with floor & ground sheet one night, $50 two nights
• $ 5 Therma-Rest Sleep pad, inflatable
• $25 Long John Wet suit with booties
Note: These items need to be reserved in advance and payment is due along with your trip balance 45 days prior to departure. Be sure to give your height, weight and shoe size for wet suit rentals.
THE FOLLOWING WILL BE PROVIDED
• Rugged inflatable self-bailing rafts 12 to 16 feet in length.
• Personal flotation devices (type V)
• Waterproof dry bags for personal gear.
• First aid and safety supplies.
• One guide per raft and a ratio of 1 to 4 on any instructional clinic.
• Rain gear—unless you want to bring your own
• In addition, we have rental equipment that consists of tents, sleeping bags, pads, and ground sheets. We also have wetsuit and boot rentals available per day or trip.
• You can choose to be either in a paddle raft (participatory) or an oared raft, (passenger). Paddle rafts have 4 to 6 persons and one guide.
Travel Information
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Activity Location
Route County Launch Site: North Platte River Highway 125 & 127 Northgate,, CO 80480 USA
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Food
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 three day menu may include as a main course BBQ steak, baked fish, 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.
Money
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.
Destination Location
The North Platte is a mountain river. Set in a narrow canyon at over 8,000 feet, the North Platte runs crystal clear with the power of melting snows from Rocky Mountain National Park and other mountain ranges which ring the basin. One of the last true discoveries of river runners, the Northgate section offers a combination of intense whitewater at rapids like Northgate Falls, Stovepipe, Windy Hole and the Narrows. The trout fishing is hard to beat due to some extremely inaccessible sections we raft through. The surrounding area has a long history of wild west stories of cattlemen who have made millions from the fertile land and still run some of the largest cattle ranges in the country from these valleys. Because of its mountain setting, it offers the clear water, pristine river corridor and solitude which makes it a great float fishing trout river, complete with the excitement of some of the best whitewater in the west. It is the most recently designated wilderness area in Colorado/Wyoming. Enter the world of the old west that James Michener wrote about in his book Centennial, the wilderness world of the North Platte for a trip of two or three days.
Guide(s)
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.
Transportation
GETTING TO THE NORTH PLATTE BY PLANE: Fly into Denver, Colorado (served by most major airlines) and rent a car for the drive to the Routt National Forest "River Access",approximately 3½ hours. Another option is to fly to Steamboat Springs airfield. With advanced notice and a transport fee, pick up at the airport can be arranged. Rental cars are available in Steamboat Springs. It is about 1½ hours from Steamboat to the put-in point. BY CAR: From the North: From Riverside, Wyoming follow Hwy #230 south to the Colorado State line where it changes to Hwy #125. It is a 2-3 mile drive from the state line to the (white) Routt Forest Access turn off sign. From the South: From Walden, Colorado follow Hwy #125 north 4 miles beyond Cowdrey to a "T" junction. Continue north west on Hwy #125 about 4 miles to the (white) Routt Forest Access turn off sign.
PRE- AND POST-TRIP ARRANGEMENTS The meeting place for a North Platte river trip is the Routt National Forest access site, located approximately 8 miles north of Cowdrey, Colorado on Hwy #125. As you cross the bridge over the North Platte river, look off to the northeast to see a portable trailer where the river ranger resides. There is a white forest service sign ½ mile north of the bridge which indicates the Routt Access turnoff. the rendezvous point and staging area is at the parking lot by the portable toilets and not at the boat ramp near the ranger's trailer. Your vehicle will be left in this parking lot unless we shuttle it to the take out point. It is okay to go to the boat ramp to drop off equipment before parking your car if necessary. We will rendezvous with you at 8:00 a.m. the morning the trip begins. There is primitive camping available there if you would like to arrive the night before the trip starts. Alternate camping areas are Cowdrey Lakes State Park in Cowdrey or Six Mile Gap Forest Campground about 6 miles north of the Routt Access sign. Post trip arrangements vary depending on length of trip, water level and weather conditions. We will either leave your vehicle at the Routt access parking lot and arrange van transport back at trip's end or do an early morning shuttle (about 1½ hours) on the first day of the trip and leave vehicles at the take out point. In either instance, you can plan on being back at your vehicle late in the afternoon on the trip's final day. First day's lunch is usually 1-2 miles down stream between noon and 2:00 p.m. therefore plan on eating a hearty breakfast before your morning meeting time. Walden is the closest town with cafes.
TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS AT TRIP'S END You will be back at your vehicle mid to late afternoon of the last day of your trip. Although you can usually make a connecting flight home from Denver after 9:00 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.
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