In this shot from our 2010 Southwest Journey adventure summer camp, Evan and Edi hit the first wave in Joe Hutch Canyon rapid in their inflatable kayak. Probably the biggest test in the 85 or so miles of Desolation and Gray Canyons of the Green River, this class 3+ rapid was formed when a huge flash flood came down the side canyon. The debris left behind constricted the river, pushing it into a narrow channel on the left against a rock wall, and created quite a few good-sized waves and holes. Lateral waves from the left side rock wall add interest. There’s a nice scouting spot on river right from which to pick a line. We ran the rapid at a nice level somewhere between 4000-5000 cfs (cubic feet per second), and while we definitely got wet, it didn’t feel too pushy or scary! Everyone stayed in their boats.
Below is a sequence of the paddle raft hitting a large but friendly hole in the middle of the rapid, captained by Meaghan Johnson, an experienced class-4 guide. Participants on this awesome teen summer program took a charter flight over the Colorado Plateau to their put-in to begin this 7-day river rafting adventure. The 25-day trip also includes a cross-cultural community service project in the Hopi Nation, and rock climbing, mountain biking, and hiking in the mountains of southwest Colorado, near Telluride.
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