Recreactional Paddling in Yellowstone Area?
 

Any suggestions for recreational paddling in YS/Teton area? Outside the parks is fine
too.

--
Wayne T. Watson (The Wizard of Obz, Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)

Blue Whale population before human hunting: 239,000. Today: 1,700.

Web Page: home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews

Any suggestions for recreational paddling in YS/Teton area? Outside the parks
is fine
too.


What kind of paddling are you looking for...
Whitewater? Fla****er touring? I don't get down to the South side of the park
much, but I do a lot of paddling on the north side, Yellowstone River,
Gallatin, Madison, Boulder.

Dennis

Rec., that is, fla****er. I probably made a big stride towards understanding what is
there only a few hours ago. I just received my copy of Paddling Yellowstone and
Tetons by Don Wilson, Falcon Press. I posted to get a jump on any info I could pick
up. I was afraid the book wouldn't get here until late Thursday, which would have
given me about 12 hours to get acquainted with it. I'm leaving Friday for the area.
I'll be there two weeks. Nevertheless, I've already gotten some good info from a lady
in Jackson Hole, but can always use more. I will rent equipment somewhere in the
area, and will likely go it on my own, but I'm open to joining in with clubs in the area.

I just took a peek at the book. Looks like it'll be helpful.

Paddlec1 wrote:

Any suggestions for recreational paddling in YS/Teton area? Outside the parks
is fine
too.



What kind of paddling are you looking for...
Whitewater? Fla****er touring? I don't get down to the South side of the park
much, but I do a lot of paddling on the north side, Yellowstone River,
Gallatin, Madison, Boulder.

Dennis


--
Wayne T. Watson (The Wizard of Obz, Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)

Blue Whale population before human hunting: 239,000. Today: 1,700.

Web Page: home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews

Weather here can be very nice this time of year, but right now it is snowing.
It's been snowing in the high country for three days now, so you might want to
consider (or maybe you already have) taking cold weather gear.

Dennis

Hi Wayne ;
I bought this book, "Paddling Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks"
by Don Nelson, ISBN: 1560446277, very helpful. The book talks about
trips, campsites, water taxi, permits, etc. I have also taken a short
paddles on Yellowstone and Lewis lake. It was very different then in
Washington State, I guess you would expect that. What I was struck by is
how fast the wind comes up in the afternoon so you need to paddle in the
morning. You need to buy a permit to paddle in Yellowstone. When I came
out of Yellowstone the Ox Bow area looked really nice. I do not know if it
was practical.
All the Best
Bill

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004, Wayne Watson wrote:

Rec., that is, fla****er. I probably made a big stride towards understand=
ing what is
there only a few hours ago. I just received my copy of Paddling Yellowsto=
ne and
Tetons by Don Wilson, Falcon Press. I posted to get a jump on any info I =
could pick
up. I was afraid the book wouldn't get here until late Thursday, which wo=
uld have
given me about 12 hours to get acquainted with it. I'm leaving Friday for=
the area.
I'll be there two weeks. Nevertheless, I've already gotten some good info=
from a lady
in Jackson Hole, but can always use more. I will rent equipment somewhere=
in the
area, and will likely go it on my own, but I'm open to joining in with cl=
ubs in the area.

I just took a peek at the book. Looks like it'll be helpful.

Paddlec1 wrote:

Any suggestions for recreational paddling in YS/Teton area? Outside the=
parks
is fine
too.



What kind of paddling are you looking for...
Whitewater? Fla****er touring? I don't get down to the South side of th=
e park
much, but I do a lot of paddling on the north side, Yellowstone River,
Gallatin, Madison, Boulder.

Dennis


--
Wayne T. Watson (The Wizard of Obz, Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39=B0 15' 7" N, 121=B0 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sap=
iens)

Blue Whale population before human hunting: 239,000. Today: =
1,700.

Web Page: home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews

Yes, I got my copy last night and started reading it immediately. Yes, it's got some
very helpful passages. It had a section on bears but nothing on Moose. I would think
Moose could be a little troublesome at times in the water. Yes, I noted the wind and
wave (not uncommon for 5-6' waves) comment in the book. I think I'll hug the shore as
he suggested. I also noted the water temp is usually in the 50s. Yikes! I'll bring my
wet suit for sure! Although I live in 'warm' N. Calif. and 3000' in the foothills of
the Sierra the water can be a bit nippy, but I don't think at this time of the year
it's in the 50s. T

I'm reviewing a video on water safety, 4hrs. It covers a lot of territory, cold
(water) shock, hypothermia, rescues. I'll probably try at least a self-assisted
rescue in one of the lakes there before venturing out. Noted Oxbow. I wonder if that
has anything to do with the famous story The Oxbow Incident? I'm told that Stringer
Lake is a must.

The video is produced by The University of Sea Kayaking, Santa Barbara, CA.
www.useakayak.org. It covers a lot and is excellent.

B. Comegys wrote:

Hi Wayne ;
I bought this book, "Paddling Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks"
by Don Nelson, ISBN: 1560446277, very helpful. The book talks about
trips, campsites, water taxi, permits, etc. I have also taken a short
paddles on Yellowstone and Lewis lake. It was very different then in
Washington State, I guess you would expect that. What I was struck by is
how fast the wind comes up in the afternoon so you need to paddle in the
morning. You need to buy a permit to paddle in Yellowstone. When I came
out of Yellowstone the Ox Bow area looked really nice. I do not know if it
was practical.
All the Best
Bill

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004, Wayne Watson wrote:


Rec., that is, fla****er. I probably made a big stride towards understanding what is
there only a few hours ago. I just received my copy of Paddling Yellowstone and
Tetons by Don Wilson, Falcon Press. I posted to get a jump on any info I could pick
up. I was afraid the book wouldn't get here until late Thursday, which would have
given me about 12 hours to get acquainted with it. I'm leaving Friday for the area.
I'll be there two weeks. Nevertheless, I've already gotten some good info from a lady
in Jackson Hole, but can always use more. I will rent equipment somewhere in the
area, and will likely go it on my own, but I'm open to joining in with clubs in the area.

I just took a peek at the book. Looks like it'll be helpful.

Paddlec1 wrote:


Any suggestions for recreational paddling in YS/Teton area? Outside the parks
is fine
too.



What kind of paddling are you looking for...
Whitewater? Fla****er touring? I don't get down to the South side of the park
much, but I do a lot of paddling on the north side, Yellowstone River,
Gallatin, Madison, Boulder.

Dennis


--
Wayne T. Watson (The Wizard of Obz, Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)

Blue Whale population before human hunting: 239,000. Today: 1,700.

Web Page: home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews



--
Wayne T. Watson (The Wizard of Obz, Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)

Blue Whale population before human hunting: 239,000. Today: 1,700.

Web Page: home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews

Whoa! Snow. Well, thanks for the info. And on that topic, I started reading Nelson's
book last night. He mentioned the water temp in that area is usually in the 50s even
in mid-summer. That's something to be concerned about. I have a wet suit, so will
definitely bring it. You are north of YS a bit?

Paddlec1 wrote:

Weather here can be very nice this time of year, but right now it is snowing.
It's been snowing in the high country for three days now, so you might want to
consider (or maybe you already have) taking cold weather gear.

Dennis


--
Wayne T. Watson (The Wizard of Obz, Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)

Blue Whale population before human hunting: 239,000. Today: 1,700.

Web Page: home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews

It's been one system after another coming through here, rain down in the
valleys, and snow up high. Predicted high here tomarrow is 53 derees, best to
be prepared for anything. You will need a decent tent, and outer clothing that
will keep the inner layers dry. Guess you likely already know that. And as Bill
mentioned, be carefull about the wind, wind related fatalities are not uncommon
up there. Just a couple years ago a ranger lost his life after capsizing,
before that it was Boy Scouts.
I don't mean to negative at all, you'll just have more fun if you know what
you're getting into.

I am north of the park, about fifty miles. The Gallatin flows north out of the
park, and I'm very near it at Bozeman.

Dennis


Whoa! Snow. Well, thanks for the info. And on that topic, I started reading
Nelson's
book last night. He mentioned the water temp in that area is usually in the
50s even
in mid-summer. That's something to be concerned about. I have a wet suit, so
will
definitely bring it. You are north of YS a bit?

Paddlec1 wrote:

Weather here can be very nice this time of year, but right now it is
snowing.
It's been snowing in the high country for three days now, so you might want
to
consider (or maybe you already have) taking cold weather gear.

Dennis

Paddlec1 wrote:

It's been one system after another coming through here, rain down in the
valleys, and snow up high. Predicted high here tomarrow is 53 derees, best to
be prepared for anything. You will need a decent tent, and outer clothing that
will keep the inner layers dry. Guess you likely already know that. And as Bill
mentioned, be carefull about the wind, wind related fatalities are not uncommon
up there. Just a couple years ago a ranger lost his life after capsizing,
before that it was Boy Scouts.
I don't mean to negative at all, you'll just have more fun if you know what
you're getting into.

I am north of the park, about fifty miles. The Gallatin flows north out of the
park, and I'm very near it at Bozeman.

Dennis


Whoa! Snow. Well, thanks for the info. And on that topic, I started reading
Nelson's
book last night. He mentioned the water temp in that area is usually in the
50s even
in mid-summer. That's something to be concerned about. I have a wet suit, so
will
definitely bring it. You are north of YS a bit?

Paddlec1 wrote:


Weather here can be very nice this time of year, but right now it is

snowing.

It's been snowing in the high country for three days now, so you might want

to

consider (or maybe you already have) taking cold weather gear.

Dennis



Thanks. I'll put some more clothes in the car. When I was in the Sawtooths at this
time last year, it was snowing at 9,000 feet. My first trip to YS was decades ago
around Labor Day with a friend. One morning we were greeted to a bucket of frozen
water. Coldddd.

One of the chapters in Nelson's book had a sobering view of paddle trips in the area.
As you mentioned, a number of people have died in the lakes. I'm going to play this
as cautiously as I can. I'll hug the shore as much as possible. I mentioned in one
response that I have an excellent video on just about every aspect of kayaking
cautions and rescue as one can hope for. One that surprised me was getting sea sick.
It's a lot more dangerous than I would have guessed. The person can really be
incapacitated. All rescues centered around having additional help. That notion will
make me probably hug the shore even more. I've never been sea sick, and I've been on
water plenty of times, but it's something to be aware of.

My son is sending me his surfing wetsuit. He surfs regularly in the Pacific off the
coast of San Francisco. I asked him how cold it gets there in the water. He said 50s.
I then asked how thick the suit was, 4mm! I thought 3mm would be sufficient for most
cold water.

I had a friend in Bozeman who recently moved to Oregon (Don Nisewanger, in case you
recognize it). I backpacked with him for a few days in YS last year. He and some of
his friends are planning to backpack there later in Sept. I had planned on joining
them, but I decided they were going too late for my plans, so switched to kayaking
and other activities (YS Institute classes). It sounds like they may find bad weather
a lot sooner than they anticipated.

Well, tomorrow I begin packing the car. I just had its 30K checkup made today.

Info on where to find the video tape is on another post with the current subject.

--
Wayne T. Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)

Blue Whale population before human hunting: 239,000. Today: 1,700.

Web Page: home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews

Hi, Bill, I've been looking at Nelson's book a little more this evening. It looks
like the stuff in the Tetons, Jenny, String Lake, Leigh Lake, is probably a good
starting place for me. It looks like the water might be gentler and views
magnificient. After I've gotten a more comfortable on some of the easier trips, I
will likely take some of the easier trips along Yellowstone Lake and Lewis Lake. I
see 89 and Bear Lake. My Rand McNally map shows it's a scenic hwy and there are
several other scenic hwys near by. I may hit that on the way back. Sounds like a good
choice. I'll probably cut north fron 80 onto 93 up towards Twin Falls and the
Sawtooths on the way east.

B. Comegys wrote:

Hi Wayne ;
When traveling from Yellow Stone to SaltLake City, in North-East Utah
there is Bear Lake. When leaving there on a Highway 89 to the West the
view to the East was incredible.

I looked at the book, I suggested you purchase and trip 31 Page 125 is
what, I was in error referring to the Ox bow as. I do not know about the
paddling, I just know when I went through there, I wanted to park my car
and put together a kayak ;). The area was very pretty and a slow flat
windy river, grass land and a couple of trees around.
All the Best
Bill


On Wed, 25 Aug 2004, Wayne Watson wrote:


Yes, I got my copy last night and started reading it immediately. Yes, it's got some
very helpful passages. It had a section on bears but nothing on Moose. I would think
Moose could be a little troublesome at times in the water. Yes, I noted the wind and
wave (not uncommon for 5-6' waves) comment in the book. I think I'll hug the shore as
he suggested. I also noted the water temp is usually in the 50s. Yikes! I'll bring my
wet suit for sure! Although I live in 'warm' N. Calif. and 3000' in the foothills of
the Sierra the water can be a bit nippy, but I don't think at this time of the year
it's in the 50s. T

I'm reviewing a video on water safety, 4hrs. It covers a lot of territory, cold
(water) shock, hypothermia, rescues. I'll probably try at least a self-assisted
rescue in one of the lakes there before venturing out. Noted Oxbow. I wonder if that
has anything to do with the famous story The Oxbow Incident? I'm told that Stringer
Lake is a must.

B. Comegys wrote:


Hi Wayne ;
I bought this book, "Paddling Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks"
by Don Nelson, ISBN: 1560446277, very helpful. The book talks about
trips, campsites, water taxi, permits, etc. I have also taken a short
paddles on Yellowstone and Lewis lake. It was very different then in
Washington State, I guess you would expect that. What I was struck by is
how fast the wind comes up in the afternoon so you need to paddle in the
morning. You need to buy a permit to paddle in Yellowstone. When I came
out of Yellowstone the Ox Bow area looked really nice. I do not know if it
was practical.
All the Best
Bill

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004, Wayne Watson wrote:



Rec., that is, fla****er. I probably made a big stride towards understanding what is
there only a few hours ago. I just received my copy of Paddling Yellowstone and
Tetons by Don Wilson, Falcon Press. I posted to get a jump on any info I could pick
up. I was afraid the book wouldn't get here until late Thursday, which would have
given me about 12 hours to get acquainted with it. I'm leaving Friday for the area.
I'll be there two weeks. Nevertheless, I've already gotten some good info from a lady
in Jackson Hole, but can always use more. I will rent equipment somewhere in the
area, and will likely go it on my own, but I'm open to joining in with clubs in the area.

I just took a peek at the book. Looks like it'll be helpful.

Paddlec1 wrote:



Any suggestions for recreational paddling in YS/Teton area? Outside the parks
is fine
too.



What kind of paddling are you looking for...
Whitewater? Fla****er touring? I don't get down to the South side of the park
much, but I do a lot of paddling on the north side, Yellowstone River,
Gallatin, Madison, Boulder.

Dennis


--
Wayne T. Watson (The Wizard of Obz, Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)

Blue Whale population before human hunting: 239,000. Today: 1,700.

Web Page: home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews

--
Wayne T. Watson (The Wizard of Obz, Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)

Blue Whale population before human hunting: 239,000. Today: 1,700.

Web Page: home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews




--
Wayne T. Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)

Blue Whale population before human hunting: 239,000. Today: 1,700.

Web Page: home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews