Have you ever stood at the edge of The Wedge and looked down at the river? Ever wondered what it would be like to look up from down there?
Now’s your rare chance. The San Rafael River has enough water to float. If you’ve thought about doing it, now is the time. Some years there’s no season at all.
I’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to float the San Rafael several times. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been (and I’ve been in lots of canyons).
Make sure you take a camera and a waterproof bag. Leave dry clothes in the vehicle at the take-out. You’re going to want to change at the end of the trip.
Plan for a long day. It’s 17 slow miles. You’ll make about 3 miles per hour, plus or minus depending on the water level. Even taking only short breaks, you’re still going to be on the river at least five hours and at lower flow seven to eight hours.
The rating of the San Rafael River is a little misleading. It’s rated class two, which means there are no large rapids. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous. For beginners it can be. Carbon County Recreation recently had a renter leave two canoes in the canyon after capsizing them. They walked out and although a bit rattled, they were eventually fine. An employee of Carbon Rec had to go retrieve the canoes the following day.
Inflatable kayaks preferred
The dangers come from fast moving water and very sharp turns in the river. The flow wants to push you into the bank. That can be disastrous in a canoe. A better option is an inflatable kayak. They are more forgiving and the learning curve is much shorter. If you’re a whitewater kayaker, that may be the best option. Navigation is easier and you’ll get through the trip a lot quicker.
The other danger can be that there are very few safe places to pull over. You should always be looking for a good place to stop, even if you don’t need it.
The biggest danger comes from a tree falling across the river. That’s happened some years, although reports are the river is clear this year. At one point there is a lodged tree, but there’s room to go around or you can go under. It should pose no major problem. If you see something in the distance that looks like a tree across the river, get to the bank as quickly as possible and get out, even if you have to scramble for it. Once the first person is out he/she then has the responsibility to help everyone else. Walk down and have a look.
It may save your life.
Here’s a story from a colleague, who floated the river Monday, May 22:
“About mid-way down the river, we came across a large group of boaters (mostly stand up paddle boards) who were stopped on a little bar. They yelled to us to stop. They had been flagged down by a young woman, who was sitting on the ground, looking quite bedraggled. They said that her group had gone on without her – the afternoon before – and that she had ‘lost her boat.’ We went around a corner and there was a yellow inflatable kayak. We called back to the group – just a few yards away, but out of sight – and sure enough it was the young woman’s boat. She told us she had ‘forgotten’ where she tied it up. She had spent the night out with no food or water; and had a puppy with her….her boat was yards away.”
There must be more to the story than what the woman is telling, but if you’re confused, you’re not the only one. Okay, back to the narrative:
“The group said they would escort her out so we continued on our way. After about an hour, there was a helicopter overhead; we figured a search copter. Two more hours at the take out were two young men who immediately said ‘have you seen a woman?’ Emery County Search and Rescue was there with a helicopter from SLC. We told what we knew. One of the young men said that the day before, the woman had said she needed to stop to walk the puppy and would catch up. They went on without her.” (This sentence removed to protect the innocent.) “Further down the river they waited until dark, then floated on to the take out and started texting friends to come search for her in the morning. However, since we were the first group on the river at 10:30, that didn’t happen. Nothing about this story makes sense . . .” (Another sentence removed.) “I wish I knew the real story. Anyway, SAR decided to wait for her to appear and we left.”
The moral of that story is, never, never, NEVER, split up a group! Never, never, NEVER leave someone behind!
Unless you pay someone to shuttle, it can be a pain. The launch is at Fuller Bottom. The take-out is at the River Bridge.
To reach Fuller Bottom, go east from Castle Dale to the crossroads at Buckhorn Well. There’s a parking lot there and toilet. Turn South and proceed about one mile to where the road forks. Take the right fork. From here you can’t get lost. The road ends at the river. It’s then about two hours to the take-out at the River Bridge and back. Then, once the river portion of the trip is over, you need to drive back to Fuller Bottom and retrieve your vehicle.
The other option is to make arrangements with Carbon County Recreation (or perhaps a friend) for a shuttle. The easiest way is to meet your shuttle driver at the River Bridge. Leave a vehicle there, drive to Fuller Bottom, then have the driver go back to the River Bridge and get the second vehicle, leaving the transport vehicle there.