Re: [Paddlewise] Yellowstone & Flaming Gorge Info

From: Steve Cramer <cramer_at_coe.uga.edu>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 10:00:49 -0400
MJAkayaker_at_aol.com wrote:
> 
> I am making plans for my annual summer kayaking trip.  This year I plan on
> going to Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and Flaming
> Gorge Reservior (Wyoming/Utah area).  ...
> 
> I would appreciate any suggestions and/or cautions for these areas.  

We did a 2-day Yellowstone trip two summers ago. Put in at the boat ramp
on Lewis Lake, paddled across Lewis (hot springs on the north shore) and
up the Lewis River into Shoshone Lake. You can really only paddle half
way up Lewis, then you need to wade and line the boat. 

We went most of the way across Shoshone into the teeth of a stiff wind
and 1' chop. A ranger in a sea kayak stopped to make sure we were OK and
tell us there was a small craft advisory. Talking to him for a few
minutes cost us a couple of hundred yards. Our campsite was on the south
shore of Shoshone Lake. Very roomy and plush, with an amazing sunset and
an even more amazing dawn.

The trip back was easier. Meg was a little antsy about the swift run
back down Lewis, as there were some strainers, but made it without any
problems.

The Teton float is relaxed, with the mountains soaring up on your right
hand and woods and prairie on your left. There is motorboat traffic on
Jackson Lake, though.

As long as you're there you should do the Snake River Gorge. Class
III-IV big water whitewater. It will be running low by August, probably
only 6,000 cfs, down from 30,000+ in June. You can raft it or do a ducky
or a WW kayak. 

My son was working for Snake River Canoe and Kayak, so we used them for
the Yellowstone trip and borrowed WW boats for the Canyon. Nice guys. 

-- 
Steve Cramer
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed
here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire
responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author.
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************
Received on Tue May 29 2001 - 06:58:39 PDT

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:30:43 PDT