White Water Training | FindPenguins

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Trip start
May 15, 2025
White Water Training Traveler
Arrival at the boat house
May 15, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
It's very welcoming to know the people I am going to spend the next week with and have them shout out your name as you arrive. Frenchy and Annie are two guides here who I have known since 2022 when I was a guest on the Gates of Lodore trip. Last year I was here for this course but got sick and bumped forward to this year.

It's pretty casual and the place feels like home. Great meeting to outline the course and it's of to bed to rest up for some pretty big days coming up.Read more
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White Water Training Traveler
Split mountain
May 16, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
A long introductory session about learning new skills in the morning, followed by a run down the day trip Split Mountain section which we will do for the next 3 days as well. We did some basic boating skills running rapids on 10,600 CFS. I have a new dry suit and it's very comfortable for staying warm especially on windy overcast days. In the afternoon we did a debrief and a session on knots.

It is Morgan's birthday and the whole group went to a Mexican restaurant in Vernal which had New York City pricing, rather stunning.Read more
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White Water Training Traveler
Green River Day Trip
May 17, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
It's the same section as yesterday and it will be the same as the next two. We went a little bit further for a more difficult takeout but many hands made light work. We did a lot of swimming and rope throwing, simulating rescue situations. A session on hydraulics and river ratings as well.

A quick dinner, some hanging out talking and it's off to bed camping in the Honda Fit.Read more
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White Water Training Traveler
Boat flipping and rigging
May 18, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
It was announced to be a cold day and it was. Absolutely perfect to have a dry suit I would have been bone chilled in a wetsuit.

The drills today were flipping the boats over and then back over and this went on for quite a time.

Lunch on Hatch Beach in the cold wind and doing the boat flip solo. It's surprising how hard it is to get back in.

After the debrief session it is time to rig the oar boats for the Yampa trip.Read more
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White Water Training Traveler
Split Mountain day trip
May 19, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C
On the way to the put in we viewed the McKee ranch petroglyphs.

It was an easy day just accompanying a paid trip with just a couple of small exercises in boat handling.

At lunch the sun came out, the clouds came and then it started hailing and then the sun came back out.

Rigging and de-rigging it's all part of the day, at the end we just set up everything to get going 40 minutes to the take in where we camp until tomorrow's start on the Yampa.Read more
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White Water Training Traveler
Yampa Big Joe Camp
May 20, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Waking up in a forest of cottonwood trees, before sunrise to the call for fresh coffee is a treat. It's a river thing. The call to action, wrap up your gear, eat breakfast, rig boats, safety talk and launch. There are four oar boats and three paddle rafts. There is enough food for 23 happy river rats and all the support required to leave no trace. Everything packed in gets packed out.

The first boat with Bryson as guide was a lively hoot of conversation. For the class 3 rapid Tyler Grant asks me to join his boat, also a small ten footer. I got 22 miles of paddling in and starting to feel pretty strong on this fifth day.

Big Joe camp ground is a bit further from shore than normal so the gear setup and haul from the boats is substantial. All in all it's a big day. Delicious dinner is served by the trainee crew of second year guides after camping etiquette review and tying the best land anchor called the three wrap two pull.Read more
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White Water Training Traveler
Laddie Camp
May 21, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Second day on the Yampa. Breakfast is eggs and avocado toast. It's delicious and a great start. The haul to the boats is partially done and we have a shorter paddling day so we can go for a hike into the canyon behind camp. It's a strenuous hike and we are rewarded at the end by a family of mountain goats that stay close above us on a high cliff.

A second hike at the lunch spot where we did our wading exercise which was very revealing from a rescue point of view. It's an option that being firmly in the tool box.

At camp we did more exercises on trying off boats and the triple anchor system. We're learning the essential skills.Read more
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White Water Training Traveler
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Island Park Canp
May 22, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C
The 'thriller' boat is the smallest boat in the flotilla at just 10 ft long. I ride it with Tyler Grant and Ben. We ran the Warm Springs rapid that was formed in 1965 from a big storm that brought down debris from the side canyon. It is usually a class 4 in high water but the flows are modest and it's more of a class 3 and very rideable.

After that excitement I get on the oar boat with Benya and Frenchy, it's good hard work, and I'm getting reacquainted with the rhythm and hand placement for the most efficient push.

Once we are in camp we set up a Z drag using pulleys in the system and the three point anchor we learned the day before. All the pieces of self-rescue on white water are coming together.

Interp talks and song by fire fill the evening after yet another delicious dinner and a sunset with mamatus cloudsRead more
Traveler check.
5/28/25Reply
Traveler check.
5/28/25Reply
Traveler Ace is the place.
5/28/25Reply
Traveler check.
5/28/25Reply
3 likes
White Water Training Traveler
Split Mountain
May 23, 2025 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
Final day for rafting, the first section is flat water through the park. The mountains we floated through are in the back ground. I catch a ride on Lex's oarboat and despite solid sleep last night, the water lapping at the boat and the warm sun are relaxing and put me to sleep.

After lunch I join the paddle boat and we run the day section again. The group has learned a lot since the start and all are comfortable running the rapids. This time the pack up is huge from the large group and multi day trip. Sitting around waiting for the BBQ, Tyler plays guitar again and we sing happy birthday to him. Off to bed on the BLM land again.Read more
2 likes
White Water Training Traveler
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Photos on the Yampa
May 24, 2025 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 19 °C
A pictorial of the trip.
Traveler cool.
5/25/25Reply
Traveler have fun, Wout.
5/25/25Reply
4 likes

Trip end
May 23, 2025