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Echo Canyon River Expeditions |
800-748-2953 |
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Three Rivers Resort and Outfitting |
888-761-3474 |
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Cannibal Outdoors |
877-226-6422 |
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| Sections |
Lower
canyons |
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Location |
Hinsdale
and Gunnison counties, north of Lake City, southwest Colorado |
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Driving Time |
Grand
Junction—2.5 hours |
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Difficulty |
Class
III-IV+; paddle rafting experience is recommended |
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Trip Length |
16
miles (26 km) |
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Trip Options |
Paddle
raft, oar raft; half-day and one day |
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Season |
May-July |
The Lake Fork, one of the
Gunnison' many fine tributaries, offers superb whitewater, just
south of the Curecanti National Recreation Area near Gunnison.
Spring runoff on the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River, which flows
northward out of the San Juan Mountains, generates fair technical
whitewater—dropping at a rate of 50 feet a mile—through
spectacular canyons as it makes it final descent to the quiet waters
of the Blue Mesa Reservoir. Surprise, Big Drop and Rattlesnake are
just a few of the many rapids that will challenge all paddle
rafters.
Because
of the swiftness of the Lake Fork flow, outfitters offer the same
8-mile (13-km) trip twice in one day. Immediately after lunch,
guests are shuttled back to the original put-in to begin a second
run.
Outfitters
prefer guests to have had previous paddle rafting experience and are
at least twelve years old.
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