Program Details
DATES:
July 7 – July 14, 2010
COST: $950/person + $80/person R/T transportation from Salt Lake City to Vernal
AGE:18 - 22 years
RIVER RATING: Class III-IV
TRIP SUMMARY:
This trip will focus on the importance of the Yampa & Colorado River watershed and how an invasive species has altered not only the landscape, but the overall management of various watersheds in the Western U.S. The trip will also include a one day restoration project in Dinosaur National Monument.
Join our group of knowledgeable educators and experienced river guides for a week of collaborative teaching and learning on the Yampa River. We will spend our days whitewater rafting, hiking, and working in Dinosaur National Monument while examining the impacts of one of the most ubiquitous invasive species in the West. Each day will include in-depth discussion of the region’s geology, ecology, and hydrology. The OARS Foundation team and program participants will explore the challenges that face riparian lands throughout the West and talk about simple ways we can make a difference.
Itinerary at a Glance
- Our Yampa River rafting trip begins with a scenic drive from Salt Lake City to Vernal, UT
- Overnight in Vernal and depart in the morning for the put-in at Deerlodge Park, CO
- Visit Native American ruins and enjoy side canyon hikes to waterfalls and petroglyphs
- We’ll leave the flatter desert behind, entering a stunning world where rock walls loom above us, rising to heights of 1000 feet
- Our guides might lead a hike to Stubs Cabin, an old cattle rustler homestead dating back to the early 1900s
- Watch the magnificent canyon walls and striking sandstone formations rise up around us, becoming bigger and bolder around every river bend
- Reaching the confluence with the Green River, we bid farewell to the Yampa, but not to the beauty and whitewater excitement it offered us – both flourish as we continue down the mighty Green
- Past the confluence, we round Steamboat Rock and continue into Echo Park. Here we may stop to visit the intriguing Fremont rock art near the side of the river
- After a bit of flat water, we pick up speed as we enter Split Mountain Canyon, the river’s gradient becoming considerably steeper
- Four or five major rapids deliver plenty of whitewater excitement during our last day on the river. Reaching our take-out point at Split Mountain, we’ll take a short ride back to Vernal where we overnight before returning to Salt Lake City the following day
