upstream – fitness paddling

4 Days of Paddling and Sailing in Canyonlands

3 Comments / gallery, training / By Marek

Here is a short summary of my paddling with Rob Bean using two Kruger canoes in Canyonlands from the town of Green River down the Green River to the confluence and upstream the Colorado River to Potash near Moab.

May 2-5, 2012. 4 days of paddling with some downwind sailing. 168 miles. These were 4 long paddling days up to 15 hours per day. 53:18 hours total on the water including short stops during day, but without camping time. Green River flow: 5000-6000cfs, Colorado River flow 4000-5000cfs.

We had a great weather, but with a lot of strong wind – more headwind in the downriver section, then downwind when going upstream. Nevertheless, the wind was very helpful when paddling up the Colorado River. Our downwind sails were a good idea. Calm mornings and nights. A great paddling at the full moon every night. No flash lights needed.

Typical paddling speed in the upstream section: ~2.5 mph. No problems with the Slide (a narrow spot just above the confluence), but, further upstream, there were two more difficult wider fast sections or “rapids” from our perspective. First, we managed to paddle through with the aid of our sails. We ended up walking the second after a good paddling fight with a jet boat audience. These two sections could be easier with higher and deeper water, but the Slide would be more challenging.

I will post more pictures soon, but I didn’t have too much time for shooting except around sunrise. I did some shooting around Moab before paddling and in northeastern Utah and northwestern Colorado (9 Mile Canyon, Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam at Brown Park). Rob produced some nice video clips for the MooCanoe.com: day 0, day 1, day 3, day 4.

Canyonlands Intense Paddling Therapy

1 Comment / gallery, training / By Marek

Prescription:

4+ days, 120 miles downriver, 64 miles upstream.

Next week, I am going with Rob Bean for some paddling in Canyonlands in our Kruger canoes (Sea Wind and Sawyer Loon). We are going to launch at Green River, UT and paddle 120 miles downstream of Green River through Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons to the confluence. Then, we are paddling 64 miles upstream the Colorado River to Moab. We have 4 days with a half day in a reserve. It looks to me as a good paddling prescription for any troubles and stress of a land life.

Spot Live Track

. The trace will be activated on Wednesday morning (May, 2) at Green River. You are welcome to check our progress online (before Wednesday you can see only some results of testing from my backyard).

We are planning to use downwind sails – a little bit of sail/paddling in a WaterTribe style. It must a downwind somewhere in those canyons! I am taking my Pacific Action sail which I used in WaterTribes challenges in Florida. Rob produced a sail of similar design at home. Above, we are testing these sails still in Fort Collins on a local pond.

10th Annual Spring Kickoff South Platte Paddling Trip

3 Comments / gallery, news / By Marek

This is the 10th edition of the annual spring paddling trip on the South Platte River organized this year by 7 paddling clubs: Rocky Mountain Canoe Club, Poudre Paddlers Club, Rocky Mountain Sea Kayak Club, Canoe Colorado/Western Paddlers, High Country River Rafters, Pike Peak River Runners, and Colorado White Water Association.

Date: Saturday, March 19th, 2011 (snow/rain data: April 2nd).
Two trip choices:
– 9 miles from Evans to Kersey
– 14 miles from Evans to Kuner
Meeting at the put-in at Evans Riverside Park at 9:00 No membership is required. This is an easy, casual, flatwater trip, suitable for novices and families.

For a full information download this flyer.

Traditionally, I am joining this trip by launching at Kersey and paddling the 9 mile upstream river segment first instead of a shuttle. In previous years I tried to setup an informal race on this upstream course with participation varying from one to four paddlers. This year I don’t have any specific plans yet.

If there is any interest I would be happy to paddle from Kersey to Evans in a race mode. The start would be around 7am at sunrise (Mountain Daylight Time). Slower boats could start earlier. The idea is to arrive to Evans between 10 and 11 am and join the group for a relaxed downriver paddling.

3rd South Platte River Upstream “Rotten Egg” Race – March 22, 2009

racing / By Marek

Every year, in the middle of March, paddling clubs in northern Colorado organize a joint trip on the South Platte River from Evans to Kersey or further to Kuner as an opening of paddling season. During recent years I use to launch my boat around sunrise at Kersey and paddle upstream to Evans to meet downriver paddlers. In last two years I was joined by other paddlers and an informal race was created. Eric Nyre name it “Rotten Egg” race (a trophy for the last finisher?).

I needed about 4:30 hours to cover 9 miles upstream in a fast cruising mode in Sisson Nucleus 100 kayak or Spencer X-treme canoe. I paddled Thunderbolt-X kayak in the first two years of the race reaching Evans in 3:37 (2007) and 3:25 (2008 at ~850cfs). This year we expect much lower water: 400cfs at Kersey or even less. See river pictures from the March 15 paddling.

The race starts at 7am, March 22, 2009 at Kersey (highway 37 bridge – map). This is exactly sunrise time this year. Slower paddlers may start earlier.