Dreams and plans die hard, especially ones with this much effort involved.

[deadlizard]

But the window of opportunity is essentially gone and I don't see the water levels rising anytime soon.  An extended raft/kayak trip just doesn't seem to be in the cards.

Was a guest visitor at BigBendChat for some time and signed up a year ago.  This forum has been invaluable for planning purposes and resources.  Thanks to all the people I bugged and emailed concerning the trip.

The GPS waypoint file eventually peaked at over 300 items.  The four well-thumbed river guides have not been off the book shelf in months.  The software flow predictor and CFS/gauge height conversion utilities I wrote no longer are on the desktop.  The notes and printouts created in hours of google-searches using keywords such as Burro Bluff and Silber Canyon do not seem so important anymore.  50+ trip reports located on the web and links saved.

After last years exploratory trip, I went so far as to allocate a directory structure for the "real" Rio Grande Raft trip on my web site.
Santa Elena Canyon:     http://www.paddleon.net/RioGrande/RioGrandeHome.htm


Oh well, maybe next year. 

Even though the Rio Grande did not happen this year, did manage four trips on the Gila as well as one each on the Dolores, San Juan, Rio Chama, Verde, and Salt.  In case one has forgotten what a river looks like with water in it:

Gila:     http://www.paddleon.net/GilaFeb08/GilaHome.htm     


Rio Chama:     http://www.paddleon.net/RioChama08/ChamaHome.htm


Dolores:     http://www.paddleon.net/Dolores/DoloresHome.htm


San Juan:     http://www.paddleon.net/SanJuanMay08/SanJuanHome.htm


Salt:     http://www.paddleon.net/UprSalt/USaltWmvVideo.htm

[mule ears]

DL,
I know the pain, I planned a long hiking trip in the bend for last year and couldn't work out the schedules to get it done.  Long hours working on logistics (which to me is part of the fun of trips) are not wasted.  I have plane tickets to get there and do it this winter.  The river will come back up too.  Sounds like you have managed some great trips in the mean time.

[colorado]

don't give up. the water will return. i am planning a lower canyons trip this september. hoping for rains and releases from mexico.  happy boating.  colorado

[homerboy2u]

I am planning a lower canyons trip this september.

 Hi DL;

  Colorado beat me to it, but the lower canyons are spectacular as well...give it a try. I have gone the road of frustation , like you. You can paddle all the way down to Amistad for a spectacular river trip. Still not dully registered on the web with pics and logs.

[Vince T]

I recommend a reading of the Tecate Journals  by Keith Bowden if a Rio Grande trip is in the future...great book on a trip from El Paso to the Gulf.

[Red Hawk]

Aulbach has it here in his Letters From the River: http://www.hal-pc.org/~lfa/KB00.html

[homerboy2u]

RedHawk, this is a very interesting read...Somebody had to do it, eventually. It is good to haqve this registered and a great source of information to share.

  Thank you very much.

 Homero

[deadlizard]

I recommend a reading of the Tecate Journals  by Keith Bowden if a Rio Grande trip is in the future...great book on a trip from El Paso to the Gulf.

Exchanged quite a few emails and photos with Keith last year concerning trip options/planning.  Not so many this year as the big items were pretty much nailed.  Tecate Journals been sitting unread on the shelf for months.  Really wanted to start reading it while on-river.

It was actually Keith's revelation that he found a body in the river on each of his last 3 lower canyon trips that gave me the most concern.  Solo boating, the risks are definitely there.  Reading Poppa's book (Drug Lord) documenting Pablo Acosta and Don Henry Ford's book didn't help either. 

The river will come up again, although my feeling is that the Rio Grande viability as a long distance paddling destination is very much at risk.  My problem is that likely I will never again will have the 30 days required to do 300 miles when shuttles, layovers, and delays are included.

As someone mentioned, the planning is half the fun of the trip and I've certainly had that.

[Vince T]

I know...the body findings are pretty troubling, aren't they.

I didn't read Drug Lord, but a friend of mine did while we were out there in 2000...and we actually crossed over into Santa Elena on that trip (that was back when you could) and had lunch, so the book have more relevance to him, I think.

[Hoodoo]

I can certainly relate to your circumstances. Increasing responsibilities at home and at work along with the lack of water have managed to keep me away. 

Cool videos from the Salt! What kind of camera setup did he use, is it strapped to his forehead?

Don

[deadlizard]

Cool videos from the Salt! What kind of camera setup did he use, is it strapped to his forehead?
Don

As hard as it was for me to believe, he held the camera in his teeth.  Small Canon in an Aquapac.  Better than the average paddler.  Baptism Rapid flipped the IK but he kept on filming even during the self-rescue.   I was scared to death before launching.  Felt like a lamb being led to slaughter and wasn't even able to bleet.  Got knocked out of the driver's seat twice and would have gone overboard once if the passenger hadn't grabbed me as I went flying by.

The Salt's a tough river.  Taught me you can only go so far in life sideways before a hole gets you.

Gene