# Packtaft Low Water Yampa?



## LJalbs (Aug 12, 2007)

Hi, we are considering a short low water (duh) Yampa trip this month. We are looking at hiking in a Harding Hole (Bull Canyon) and then floating to Echo Park. This assumes we can get permits. Any hints? Warnings? Advice?
Thanks for the info, Linda


----------



## 3d3vart (Apr 15, 2010)

Might want to call the river office before you get too far into the planning stage...


----------



## Dustin Judd (Aug 13, 2013)

Following


----------



## LJalbs (Aug 12, 2007)

LJalbs said:


> Hi, we are considering a short low water (duh) Yampa trip this month. We are looking at hiking in a Harding Hole (Bull Canyon) and then floating to Echo Park. This assumes we can get permits. Any hints? Warnings? Advice?
> Thanks for the info, Linda


We have contacted the river office, but are also looking for some user knowledge on the viability of such a trip. thanks


----------



## 3d3vart (Apr 15, 2010)

Linda - Bull to Echo is more than viable...i's an obvious trip and would be a great packraft run. The trick is the permission. The River Office has slowly been coming around to new thinking about shorter runs (i.e. not Deerlodge to Split), but there is still some work to do. There are many such options in Dinosaur for those willing to work for it, especially in low-use season. Please let us know what you hear back from the River Office. Either way, patience and politeness are key at this stage, as we are seeing movement in the thinking on packrafts in the Monument and don't want to jeopardize anything by getting greedy... Thx.


----------



## soggy_tortillas (Jul 22, 2014)

We did Deerlodge to Split last year at very low water in hardshells. I think it was about 350. Lots of rocks, but didn't drag more than a couple of times. We had days when making miles was tough, especially with the W***.
Do the whole run if you can, or takeout at Echo, but then you miss out on Spilt. Use a proper toilet system.


----------



## Fitztom (Jul 2, 2018)

I just got off the Yampa, and I can tell you with 100% accuracy that it is low. Above Harding Hole, my partner and I spent a lot of time bumping into rocks and walking the boats. Below Harding there were a lot fewer rocks, but still quite a bit of walking.

Also, unless we were going down a significant gradient drop then there was zero current. If there was any wind, we made backward progress unless constantly paddling.

I for one would not put back onto the Yampa this year unless someone was paying me to do it and I was borrowing a boat. The flows are now sub 200 and appear to be dropping quickly, so if you're going to go, I would go now.


----------



## lmyers (Jun 10, 2008)

Fitztom said:


> I just got off the Yampa, and I can tell you with 100% accuracy that it is low. Above Harding Hole, my partner and I spent a lot of time bumping into rocks and walking the boats. Below Harding there were a lot fewer rocks, but still quite a bit of walking.
> 
> Also, unless we were going down a significant gradient drop then there was zero current. If there was any wind, we made backward progress unless constantly paddling.
> 
> I for one would not put back onto the Yampa this year unless someone was paying me to do it and I was borrowing a boat. The flows are now sub 200 and appear to be dropping quickly, so if you're going to go, I would go now.



Thanks for the report. What kind of boats were you in, and how many days did it take?


----------



## Fitztom (Jul 2, 2018)

We were in packrafts, and we did Deerlodge to Split mountain in five days. It was an amazing trip, but I would probably hold off on doing it again unless the flows were 300+, or I when I get desperate for another permit.


----------

