Packrafting in Escalante, Utah

I am so excited about this blog post because it’s a trip recap from our FIRST EVER packrafting trip! It’s exciting because it was our first time packrafting in the backcountry, but it also was a trip into one of our favorite places in North America, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument!

This blog post was made in partnership with our friends over at REI. We’re proud to have them as a sponsor as we’ve been REI members since 2011 and it’s our favorite place to pick up all the gear and advice we need for our adventures!

Please note: The links provided in this blog post are affiliate links. If you end up purchasing some of these pieces of gear we get a very small portion of the sales. Thank you as always for supporting us and our life on the road, it gives us the opportunity to share so extensively with you all!

Normally, we pride ourselves as being ultra light backpackers with a base weight of about 22lbs. As we hoisted our packs onto our shoulders it was immediately clear that backpacking with packrafts is anything but ultra light hiking. More recently we weighed our loaded packs for another packrafting trip with similar gear and found our packs to be just shy of 50lbs. Right out of the gate it was apparent that this type of trip is not for the faint of heart.

The adventure team in 35mm

We planned a big loop that would take three days and two nights to complete. We’d enter one canyon to hike down to the waters of Lake Powell where we’d transition to the water, paddling to a different canyon that would take us up and out. From there, we’d cut overland back to the car. This way we didn’t have to shuttle, which meant only one car had to drive down the terribly washboarded Hole-in-the-Rock road.

To make matters even more interesting, it was forecasted to be hot. Very hot. Luckily this was a paddling trip, which meant water. We were thankful that if need be, we could get a little respite from the blistering heat with a plunge into a body of refreshing water. With that, we were off to find some adventure.

Aimee & Owen checking our progress on the map

Hiking in canyons is a unique experience if you’ve never tried it. There are endless networks of connected canyons, offshoots, and false trails. For this trip we had to keep a constant eye on our progress through OnX Backcountry (mapping app) to be sure we were on track and heading towards Lake Powell.

It was surreal to be walking through the desert, a hot and dry climate, for a packrafting trip. Even though we knew that there was enough water to paddle down there, it still felt bizarre.

The features in the canyon were nothing short of breath taking. We came across uniquely shaped arches, deep rock alcoves, and eventually… Evidence that water did in fact exist down there!

Our goal for the day was to make it as close to the water’s edge as possible to be sure we could start the next day on the water. Miles into the hike we came to an impassable section in a narrow slot canyon that required us to inflate our rafts to float through the narrow passage.

To get all the supplies for our boats we had to fully unpack our packs. We clearly had a lot to learn about how to pack and where to keep certain things if we had to use our boats before getting to the lake. The sun, now high in the sky was beating down on us and the water was a welcome break from walking.

I (MAK) was the first person ready so I hopped in my boat and pushed my way through the slot canyon to see what lay ahead. The deep water was short lived so I returned to report back to the rest of the group. As I waited for Owen, I looked down into the water to see what I could see. The slender pools were filled with crawdads of all things! To me, that is a sign that this water is always here to be able to sustain aquatic life. Absolutely fascinating!

The passages were so narrow in spots that Owen didn’t even fully assemble his paddle, instead he used one half in each hand. We made our way through the slot canyon successfully, however Chase did fall in trying to get into his boat, which was hilarious (he was fine)!

Back on trail, we found another deep hole with a water fall. It was so hot that we all stopped to get in the water to cool off for the rest of the hike. This was my first big hike wearing my REI Amphib shorts. I decided on them because they needed to go from trail to water with ease. After taking a dip in the waterfalls they were dry in an impressively quick amount of time. They’ll definitely be tagging along for more packrafting trips in the future because of how well they performed!

Getting close to the water, we started looking for a camp spot, which was surprisingly challenging. When camping in a canyon like this it’s important to find high ground in the off chance there’s a flash flood. The canyon was narrow and rarely offered any purchase above the floor. Thankfully, we found a sandy plateau that was plenty big for our two tents for the night.

We arrived at camp long before the sun went down. Aching from shouldering the weight of our gear all day, we laid around on our sleeping pads napping, joking around, and taking in the quiet afternoon from our little perch in the canyon. One of the topics of conversation was how rarely we, as digital nomads, allow ourselves to spend the afternoon “just laying around”. We fill all of our idle time trying to get ahead, plan our next moves, or working on projects. For whatever reason, we don’t give ourselves substantial breaks unless we’re here, in the backcountry. Perhaps that’s something we need to work on. For the time being, it’s one of the leading reasons we put so much effort into doing trips like this. It gives us permission to take a break, while not really taking a break…

We also have an affinity for eating backpacker meals, so we were all excited when it finally came time to settle in for dinner. After a long hard day on trail, nothing tastes better than a backpacker meal.

MAK posing with her favorite backpacker dessert - 35mm film

Chase & Aimee - 35mm film

Getting close to the water. In this image you can see where the water used to be on the rock nearly 60 ft above us in some locations.

The restful afternoon and evening was much needed because the next morning we were sore as we pulled our packs back on. Our hard work from the day before thankfully set us up for a short and easy hike to the water. Just a quarter mile from camp, we began setting up our boats.

Packrafting Packing list

A little later this year we will be putting together a video about how to pack and prepare for a packrafting trip. But for now I wanted to share a bit of our packing list to give you an idea of what we bring along. Everything listed below is in addition to our backpacking packing list which you can check out here!

• Chase & Aimee’s Kokopeli Rafts. If you’re wanting to get into whitewater with your raft, I recommend this version instead because it has a spray deck that will keep your boat from filling with water.

• Our Alpacka Rafts. We each have the Wolverine because of the internal storage space, maneuverability in whitewater, and spray deck. We have some big goals for some future trips we hope to get into!

• Paddles. Chase and Aimee have the ultra light touring paddles which are nice and light, but a little on the long side, particularly in the tight quarters of the slot canyons. Owen and I carry the whitewater paddles that are shorter, nimble, and durable. However, they are not quite as light. No matter what, if you plan to hike with your paddles to access remote water ways, be sure to get a four piece paddle so it can be easily packed in!

• NRS Straps for strapping our packs to the bow of the boats.

• NRS lifejackets… safety first!

• NRS utility knife. This is for the unlikely situation of flipping in our boat. If we get tangled in straps the knife gives us a quick and easy way to cut our way free.

Alright, now back to the trip!

With our boats inflated and packed it was time to hit the water.

We inflated our rafts and strapped our packs to the bow of our boats while standing in the closest thing to quicksand we’ve ever seen. The reason for the questionable mud is that all of this used to be under water. Due to a number of reasons the water levels have dropped in Lake Powell nearly 60 ft over the last decade. Because the water has dropped so far, we had to hike in four miles longer than you used to when the water was at it’s higher levels. A lot of the ground we traversed had not seen the light of day in roughly 50 years, since the creation of Lake Powell.

It felt so good to transition into the water. It was a unique way to see these incredible sandstone formations. The walls were so tall that it allowed us to periodically be able to paddle into some much needed shade.

Aimee snapping photos from her boat

After a while on the water we pulled over to a small beach only accessible by water, to try our hand at fishing the lake. When we got in the water we saw a lot of fish disturbances and suspected we might have some success! We also kept hearing strange “sucking” noises that we came to realize were carp sucking on the algae on the rock walls right at the surface. Even though we know this area well, we had yet to see it from this perspective on the water. Every second felt like a treat.

As per usual, Chase had success and caught a few fish from the shore before we set off to find the entrance to our return canyon.

We weren’t the only ones on the water that day. We came across a few boats that made their way deep into the canyons to see something we’d soon pass.

Aimee paddling under a massive sandstone arch

As we came around the corner, a massive arch stretched over the water. Apparently people used scuba dive down to see this arch. Now that the water is low, it stretched high above us. So high that boats were able to pass under it. Once again, we were struck by how unique of an experience this was. To see yet another fascinating desert feature from the water was mind blowing. We ended up spending a while paddling back and forth under it, soaking in the view.

Truth be told, we were reluctant to transfer back to dry land. Just around the next bend the water leg of our journey would come to an end. Trying to stall as long as we could, we found some shade where we all laid back and kicked our feet up, enjoying the cool shade. All while trying not to think about how hot it would be for the rest of the day.

MAK with the biggest tumble weed we’ve ever seen! MAK for scale.

After pulling out of the water and repacking our packs, we got back on trail. As we came around the first bend we found a pile of the largest tumble weeds we’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing! With steep cliff walls on all sides, it was hard to imagine where they all came from or why they all congregated in this one bend. I personally find tumble weeds to be hilarious. Every time I see them rolling across the road, I can’t help but laugh. So to find a pile of such massive ones was a real treat!

Owen standing in what used to be an underwater slot canyon.

View of the slot canyon looking the otherway.

We started making our way up our exit canyon and quickly came upon one of the coolest features yet. This narrow slot canyon that was recently uncovered by receding waters created some fascinating optical illusions. When the water was still, the reflections in the water looked just as real as the walls themselves. We spent a lot of time in this area because of how fun it was to look at, and once again, the shade gave us a much needed break from the hot sun.

We made it a few miles up river before deciding to stop for the night. We settled on a hard packed mud alcove where we lounged around before making dinner. That night it was so hot I didn’t even close the door on my side of the tent to ensure that even the smallest puff of air could wash over me.

Owen, Chase, and Aimee making their way overland back to the trailhead

The hike out was predictably hot, but we got an early enough start that we were able to make it out before the worst of the heat set in. By the time we made it back to the truck we were already scheming our next packrafting trip. We were all hooked! It was so novel to take our tired and sore legs and transfer to the water to let our arms take over. Not only that, it was so refreshing to see an area we love from a totally different perspective. As I type this, we’ve now done three big backpacking/packrafting trips and they just seem to be getting better and better! Now that we have some more experience we’ll soon start working on a more formal tutorial about how to pack for a trip like this and sharing a packrafting trip video we filmed while on one of our trips! We can’t wait to share them with you!

Thank you so much to REI for supporting this blog post and for helping us sort out some last minute gear that made this trip possible! You all are the wind at our backs!

Love,

MAK