Family Trip: Gunnison River Family Camp

The Avid4 Adventure Gunnison River Family Camp is an ideal way to bond as a family and experience the beautiful Rocky Mountains.  Just south of Grand Junction, Colorado, the mighty Gunnison River snakes through spectacular sandstone and metamorphic rock.  Your journey begins at a petroglyph site in Escalante Canyon, within the heavily dinosaur fossilized Morrison Formation, and travels 27 miles to Whitewater. Along the way, you will encounter the thrilling “Hail Mary” rapid (class I-II, optional),  the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, Dominguez Canyon, known for its deep red sandstone, as well as other natural wonders that only a river trip can offer. Just a short hike takes you to petroglyph and pictograph sites, secluded warm, natural swimming pools and a forty foot waterfall. Desert bighorn sheep, hawks, deer and brightly colored geckos dot the landscape of this pristine place.

 Please contact Kyle at 720-249-2412 X10 or Kyle@Avid4.com to book a private trip.

Please note: This trip is quite different than other Avid4 Adventure family trips. It is “expedition style,” which means that all of you will be very active participants in the trip. You’ll be paddling in the boats with your children during the day, helping load and unload canoes each morning and afternoon, and even setting up your own tents at night. It is a true river trip experience that will create amazing memories for you and your children for years to come.

Cost, Age Requirements, and Trip Dates

Cost

$350/person & a 1-time per season $50 family registration fee

Before April 1st : You can hold your space with a non-refundable deposit of $250 per family. Final payment is due on April 1 st and will be automatically placed on your credit card unless you make alternative prior arrangements. After April 1st: Full payment is due at time of registration to hold your spot.

Age Requirements

5 and up as this is a beginner-intermediate river trip

2012 Dates

We will not be having any open registration trips in 2012.  Please contact Kyle at 720-249-2412 X10 or Kyle@Avid4.com to book a private trip.  Reservations for private trips are first come-first served; 14 people minimum for a private.

All trips meet at 7pm and conclude around 2:30pm.

Have you not been in a canoe for a while or is this your family’s first time? NO WORRIES! Meet us at the Boulder Reservoir before the trip for canoe skills and practice. Bring the entire family for only $30!

Trip Location

Gunnison River, just south of Grand Junction, Colorado. Driving time from Denver is about 4 1/2 hours. Take I-70 to Grand Junction. Get of at Exit 37at Clifton. Take Business 70 to Hwy 141 south, about 1 1/2 mile off the exit, and look for the Wendy’s. Turn Left onto Hwy 141 and go 7 miles until you come to the road’s end, which connects with Hwy 50. Turn Left onto Hwy 50 and go about 23 miles, looking for mile marker 59. Just past the mile marker 59 is a roadside park, turn right and follow the dirt road about 3 miles. The sign says Escalante Canyon, 3 miles. You will see the river and railroad tracks before the bridge.

Click here to see the Map

Trip Details

Our river adventure will meet bright and early at 7:00 AM on the first full day of the trip, so plan to arrive at the put-in the evening before after you have had dinner on the road. We will have the campsite all set up for you and ready to go. This is a very basic campsite without amenities (there are toilets, but no showers), but it will set you up for an easy start on the river the next morning. If you prefer, you can reserve a hotel in Clifton or Delta, but please let us know if that is your plan so we don’t set up a tent for you. Hotel options: Lazy S Arrow hotel, in Whitewater, old and funky but low cost, 970-241-3825; Quality Inn in Delta 800- 790-2661; 4 Seasons River Inn 888-340-4689 just before Delta. Our first meal on the trip will be breakfast that morning. We will finish up around 3:00 PM on the third day of the trip with lunch being our last meal. The trip will have one night of camping at the put-in and two nights of camping on the river.

Because of the advanced logistical nature of river trips, we aim to be out on the water by noon of the first day. This is because there is a lot of information to review before embarking, gear to pack in the boats, not to mention the need to shuttle your vehicles to the take-out parking lot. Your patience and help on the first morning will be greatly appreciated so the journey can begin asap.

Highlights

• Native American petroglyphs and pictographs
• class I-II whitewater
• spectacular side canyon hiking
• waterfalls and swimming holes
• diverse wildlife

Sample Itinerary (subject to change)

• Day 1: Plan to arrive at the put-in by nightfall. We’ll provide suggestions for stops along the way if you are driving from Denver such as hiking up to Hanging Lake, or relaxing in Glenwood Hot Springs. Arrive at the put-in after you have had dinner and we will have your tent set up and ready for slumber.
• Day 2: We will enjoy breakfast at the put in at 7:00 AM and then move into packing the canoes and gearing up for the day. We will shuttle vehicles to the take-out so that your vehicle will be waiting for you at the end of the trip. We will provide basic paddling instruction to set everyone up for success. Ideally, we will be out on the water by noon. Mid-morning, we will put on the river for our day of paddling (12 miles). After lunch, we will come to Hail Mary rapid, a class I-II rapid. After our excitement, we will set-up our family camp and enjoy a tasty dinner together.
• Day 3: This day is a bit shorter on paddling, but an amazing exploration day. After breakfast we will visit the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, Dominguez Canyon, a deep red sandstone side canyon. A short hike takes you to petroglyph and pictograph sites and a secluded warm natural swimming pool fed by a forty foot waterfall. We will have lunch on the river and once again make camp on the river.
• Day 4: A casual morning on the river will be punctuated by wildlife viewing and lunch along the way. We will take-out early afternoon and will target to get you back to your car around 3:00 PM to start your drive home.

What to bring

Please pack as lightly as you can. What you bring with you must be tied into the center of your canoe along with group food, water and equipment boxes. Due to the possibilities of afternoon thunder-showers, please remember to bring your rain gear. We suggest a small day pack to keep separate from your main pack while in your canoe. This will hold items you may need during the day, such as sunscreen, insect repellent, sunglasses, chap stick and drinking water. Be sure to put your car keys somewhere safe. All of your possessions will be packed into river dry bags, so pack only necessary items.

You are welcome to bring alcoholic beverages with you as we do not supply them, but they can not be consumed while on the river (including lunch).

We will provide waterproof gear bags, tents (smaller than our regular family tents to pack into canoes), all kitchen gear (including personal dishes).

Please note there is very little space for your personal possessions, therefore only pack what you know will be worn or used.

Everything that you bring on the river will need to be stuffed into personal river drybags. Following is a suggested personal gear list:

Gear

• Sleeping bag and pad (or reserve them through Avid4 Adventure for a nominal cleaning fee). Sleeping bag must be one that packs down to a small size; there is no need for a big 3 or 4 season bag.
• Cotton Sheet-optional (1 per person)- This is a nice item to have on hot trips as you can go to sleep with just a sheet on top of you to stay cool.
• Flashlight or Headlamp (with batteries)
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray (this is a must, ideally with 25%+ DEET)
• 2 One Liter water bottles (per person)
• Daypack or fanny pack
• Toiletries (lip balm, shaver, wash cloth, floss, toothbrush, toothpaste, personal medications, feminine hygiene, vitamins…)
• Camera- optional- (If you bring a camera, you may want to either have a waterproof box or camera bag, or bring a disposable camera)
• Sunglasses
• Small personal cooler- optional- (You can keep your beverages cool on the river in a small cooler)
• Crazy Creek® (or similar) camp chair or cushion- optional- (You may want to bring a waterproof cushion or camp chair to use in your canoe for greater comfort).
• Musical Instruments (optional)
• 2 large garbage bags- Good idea to place your sleeping bag inside of these in case there is a small leak in the dry bag we provide to you.

Clothes

• Rain jacket or poncho
• One warm layer (sweater, fleece, etc.)
• Shorts
• Swim Suit & Towel
• Hiking shoes
• Closed-toe Water shoes (Crocs, Keens, etc.)
• 1 long sleeve shirt for sun protection
• Sun hat
• 2 T-shirts
• 3 pair Underwear
• Socks (nice to have one pair wool sock)

Canoeing in Gunnison River Part One:

Part Two:

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