San Raphael Swell Packrafting

In the spring of 2017, friends Zak, Jeff and I rode off into the San Raphael swell in Utah in search of some slot canyon packrafting. With the good snowpack and warming temperatures things started to flow.

We had our sights set on a remote, committing overnight trip through Class IV slot canyon whitewater. We ran shuttle, hiked in and get started. Day one brought easy whitewater and some getting to know the Kokopelli packraft that I'd never paddled. We camped nestled in the rocks praying it wouldn't rain as we left our tents at home to save space.

The next day began with a bang running a small drop right below camp. The whitewater ramped up through the day with several mandatory portages, blind turns and difficult scouts. By the end of the day I felt comfortable in my packraft and was having a blast. We had about 10 miles of flat water to muddle through to get back to the car and were exhausted by the time we finished. A great trip, and would love to go back.

Camp One