# San Juan Trimble Camp



## tetoncounty (May 19, 2016)

I've been assigned Trimble Camp for the last night of an early June San Juan trip.
Rivermaps guide said this camp was washed out in 2009.
I've been down the San Juan in early May for the last two years. I don't remember what that camp looked like.
Anybody camp there lately, especially in high water? We'll likely be a party of six.
Also, we were assigned Slickhorn E. Never stayed there and would appreciate info.


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## dakpowderday (May 1, 2014)

We stayed there last May before high water, and it was pretty rough compared to the rest of the sites. It looks like Mars. We were a group of 10 and fit fine, but didn't sleep well as it rained that night and we couldn't help but wonder when the flash was going to hit us.


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## jamesg (Sep 22, 2016)

Slickhorn is a great/large camp, but I'd consider rowing or motoring out from Slickhorn and potentially skipping Trimble. We camped at Trimble in 2014 and got annihilated by bugs (although it was at lower water), and it's on the smaller side.


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## wetwildandscenic (Jul 30, 2016)

I stayed there late October last year (low, low water). It's a shitty camp with not a lot of space. From my trip report:

The camp we were assigned was Trimble at mile 72.0. It sucked. It had apparently been destroyed in a flash flood. To access the camp you take a short trail from the river and get to a semi-cleared area with a fire ring (which aren’t allowed). 

Full TR at Trip Report: San Juan River October 2016 – Wet, Wild, and Scenic

It's still a wonderful river trip, have fun!


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## CurrentLY (Aug 24, 2016)

A group of four of us stayed at Trimble last October and it was no bueno. A friend's river runner's blog has a trip report that describes our experience here.

It worked in a pinch but was our least favorite camp.


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## quinoa (Jul 5, 2009)

Slickhorn E is on the opposite side of the river than Slickhorn canyon and a bit downstream. If you want to hike you need to stop on your way by, hike, and then proceed down and across to E. We stayed there once, and I remember it being a decent camp. 


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## CurrentLY (Aug 24, 2016)

I fished out my RiverMap for the San Juan and here's what I noted:

There's a sweet camp that's not described on the map at approximately RM 59.7 on river right. My notes describe "a good camp w/ rock ledges for kitchen and sleeping. Good groover spot past big boulder upstream of camp." It was our night three camp after launching from Mexican Hat.

I understand that camps below Government Rapid are pre-assigned but I also noted that Oljeto Wash Camp was sweet as of 10/16. A big alluvial sand flat that may get sketchy in a downpour given how big the Oljeto basin is.


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## Riverwild (Jun 19, 2015)

tetoncounty said:


> I've been assigned Trimble Camp for the last night of an early June San Juan trip.
> Rivermaps guide said this camp was washed out in 2009.
> I've been down the San Juan in early May for the last two years. I don't remember what that camp looked like.
> Anybody camp there lately, especially in high water? We'll likely be a party of six.
> Also, we were assigned Slickhorn E. Never stayed there and would appreciate info.


Trimble is really rough and getting rougher. You can stay there but it's basically just a rocky shit hole. Not a camp to really cap off a great trip. I'm actually surprised that the BLM is still calling this a camp. It's in a very sketchy spot. If you look at Google earth you will note as of last year the canyon just upstream flashed and carved it's channel down to the bedrock. You would be best served to probably run all the way out to the take out from slickhorn E. Just take an extra day above the reserve camps. Also, Slickhorn E can be diminished in size depending on water level. Its on the leftside and has no access to the hike.


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## garystrome (Jan 6, 2007)

*Tie Boats to the Canyon Wall*



tetoncounty said:


> I've been assigned Trimble Camp for the last night of an early June San Juan trip.
> Rivermaps guide said this camp was washed out in 2009.
> I've been down the San Juan in early May for the last two years. I don't remember what that camp looked like.
> Anybody camp there lately, especially in high water? We'll likely be a party of six.
> Also, we were assigned Slickhorn E. Never stayed there and would appreciate info.


Trimble Camp is a Mosquito Infested Hell-Hole. In light of that, one can tie to the canyon wall in the shade and camp on-boat. Put the groover on the downwind boat. There are a few places that are out of the current and in the eddies.


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## mattman (Jan 30, 2015)

Keep an eye on the camp site page, in case someone cancels and you can get a different site. A second option could be to try and change sites for the last night, so basically grab a slick rock site for the day you have trimble, and take an extra day up riv somewhere, provided there is availability.
I have camped at slick rock E before, got on the water early, and had no problem busting out that last section of lake effect river by early afternoon, so that could also be a 3rd option, just skip Trimble.
I always hate taking out from a river trip early, but thought I would offer up a couple of potentially helpful options.

Have a great trip, still an awesome section!!


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## CWorthy (Jun 22, 2005)

With the flow anticipated to be higher than the norm, you can easily float out from Slickhorn in early June. Slickhorn E does require a Navajo permit, so make sure you've got that as well. On the San Juan Rec page, there's a link to pictures of the assigned camps - Trimble does not look like it's a very friendly camp, with boulders strewn throughout and not much room for actual camp or kitchen. I agree with everyone that said to watch the calendar - I am not sure how likely it is that a camp will open up, but you never know!?


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## markhusbands (Aug 17, 2015)

We've got a night at SLICKHORN C at the end of June, and another at Oljeto..I'm really excited about the whole thing. If there's anything to know about these I'm glad to hear it. It'll be a first for us.


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## tetoncounty (May 19, 2016)

Thanks for info. I'm thinking we'll just head to clay hills a day early and forget Trimble. I've gone out twice in low water from Steer Gulch and been out before noon. This June should be no problem from Slickhorn E.


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## zercon (Aug 30, 2006)

*Cancellations*

You want to check on late cancellations if the water is up. We were there on High water once and all the other groups going out that day backed out last minute.


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## atg200 (Apr 24, 2007)

I looked at Trimble while floating by yesterday and it looked awful, and a death trap if it flashed.


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## tetoncounty (May 19, 2016)

After reading the replies and looking at the pictures, you have to ask yourself what is the BLM thinking assigning this campsite? It's not only a bad camp, it's dangerous.


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## Tom Martin (Dec 5, 2004)

Hi Teton, God help you sir.

Duwain Whitis and I just updated our San Juan RiverMap. The "Trimble Camp" description includes the following words: "It is unusable at the time of this writting..."

Others have asked the right question, why is this even identified as a camp by the BLM? I have heard some folks are camping at the upstream end of the small outwash on river left at 71 Mile. They suggested bringing a shovel, rake, and brush lopper. 

I hope you have a great trip! Yours, Tom Martin


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## noneuclidean (Aug 2, 2013)

I was assigned Trimble last summer. It was terrible, and should not be considered a camp. We decided to cut the trip one day short so we wouldn't need to stay there.


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## tetoncounty (May 19, 2016)

We managed to pick up an alternative camp by watching cancellations. I'll stop and take pictures of Trimble when we float by.


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## kengore (May 29, 2008)

We floated by Trimble a few days after the big flood event. After seeing the devastation I wouldn't feel safe at Trimble under any condition. We spoke to some folks at the takeout that were at the camp upstream of Trimble and they witnessed the event.

The rain storm that caused the flash flood was miles away, no rain fell at the river so the flood was a complete surprise. A debris field larger than a football field was displaced in a mater of seconds, so much material that the entire river was temporarily dammed. This caused a tsunami type wave that traveled upstream several hundred yards and tore the bottom out of a 15' raft on the beach at the upstream camp.

At the takeout the rangers were looking for any witnesses that could verify if a group had been camping at Trimble prior to the flood. The destruction was so severe that they couldn't be certain from the debris if anyone had been killed. (fortunately no)

So bugs, heavy tamerisk brush, rocky ground and the risk of death. 
Trimble no thank you.


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## shelbdad (Apr 6, 2005)

hey there Teton. 
great input from others here that I would agree with. Thankfully we've not stayed at Trimble, but every time I've floated past it, I wonder how we'd make a camp there work. We'll be on the SJ early June as well, so will look to say howdy if our paths cross. sounds like you've been down this river a time or two, so maybe what I can chime in with is not particularly helpful to you. Others check these threads, so here's some additional input. yep, Slickhorn E needs a Navajo Permit. Lena appears to be super helpful and willing to handle things over email, so hopefully this works for all boaters looking for Navajo permits on fairly short notice. We've stayed at Slickhorn E a couple of times. pretty hot camp - we've set up the shade/wings in the willows/tammy's by the river and enjoyed nap/siesta/cocktails there until things cooled off. I've seen BLM/birders set up river left near E to monitor peregrines(?) or other birds of interest from this vantage, so you can always find a silver lining...
assume you are familiar with hike up Slickhorn Canyon, but if not (or for others) it is very much worth stopping and hiking. we do it with kids and it is a great kid friendly hike with bonus swim at top of hike. we've rowed out from the Slickhorn complex before and I believe as you note, the flows this year in early June will make this a relatively easy push. what an awesome river and the lower parts are great - excited to be doing it again this year! have a great trip.
Russ


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## tetoncounty (May 19, 2016)

Finished at Clay Hills 6/4. We camped at Grand Gulch.I stopped at Trimble in the morning to take pictures.
It's not as bad as some here seem to think: Decent landing and trail, decent kitchen, decent spots for a few tents.
Skeeters were bad that morning.


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