The obvious answer is to SUP! Popularity of stand up paddling is growing in Colorado. There are more racing opportunities for SUPs than for kayaks and canoes. And, it is a great fitness workout. A month ago I got my first stand up paddleboard – SurfTech 14-0 Bark Expedition TufLite SUP from Austin Kayaks (my …
31 July, 2012. Kaw Point at the confluence of Missouri and Kaw (Kansas) River. Half hour to the start of solo boats in the 7th Missouri River 340 Race from Kansas City to St Charles. I launched my JKK Supernova kayak at the very point of Kaw Point, looked at cityscape of Kansas City, paddled …
10 Pictures from the Start of 2012 Missouri River 340 Race Read More »
Sunday, August 19, 2012. Annual Colorado River Race from Dotsero to Hanging Lakes. 10 mile race on casual flatwater with a few class 1+ ripples. Classes for sea/recreational kayak, open canoe, SUP, and unlimited. Meet at Dotsero Green Bridge where Eagle and Colorado Rivers join right at Dotsero exit on I70. Entry is like $15 …
2012 Annual Colorado River Race in Glenwood Canyon Read More »
The 7th Missouri River 340 (MR340) Race starts on July 31, 2012 with a record number of boats and paddlers – see roster. I paddled the first 5 races missing the last one postponed till October 2011 due to flooding. I used different boats from my fleet: 2006 Spencer Xtreme canoe 2007 WSBS Thunderbolt Kayak …
5 Years of Missouri River 340 Race in Reports, Pictures and GPS Tracks Read More »
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.